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The History of Pandemics

Pandemics begin as epidemics that spread throughout a large geographic area or even the entire world. The six worst recorded pandemics are smallpox, Spanish flu, black death, malaria, AIDS and cholera.

  1. Smallpox (430 B.C. to 1979): Over 300 Million Dead

    • Smallpox is a contagious disease exclusive to humans. It is caused by one of two viral strains, Variola major and Variola minor. V. major is more deadly. V. minor causes alastrim, which kills 1 percent of those affected. Long-term effects are scars. Blindness and infertility in men also might occur.

    Spanish Flu (1918 to 1919): 50 to 100 Million Dead

    • Symptoms of the Spanish Flu are typical of the flu. However, the disease progressed in some patients to include fluid in the lungs, chills and fatigue. No cure exists for the flu.

    Black Death (1340 to 1771): Estimated 75 Million Dead

    • One of the deadliest pandemics in recorded history brought three types of the plague. Bubonic caused lymph nodes to swell, bleed and ooze pus. The septicemic plague is a form of blood poisoning. Pneumonic plague attacks the lungs first and then the rest of the body.

    Malaria (1600 to Present): Approximately 2 Million Die Each Year

    • Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the parasite that causes malaria. The parasites proliferate within red blood cells, causing symptoms like lightheadedness, shortness of breath, tachycardia, flu-like symptoms and in severe cases, coma and death.

    AIDS (1981 to Present): 25 Million Dead

    • First recognized in 1981, AIDS is one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Wide variations in the number infected exist across the globe. The origin of AIDS is unknown.

    Cholera (1817 to Present): Hundreds of Thousands Dead

    • The world's first international disease was cholera. Cholera spread through contaminated kegs of water and the feces of infected people.

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