Top 10 Worst Epidemics in History
You think 2020 was a bad year due to Covid? Think again. There have been numerous epidemics and
pandemics that have ravaged the earth in the past, most of which are buried forgotten in the pages of
history. Not anymore though, as we give you just some of these epidemics that decimated the world
population. The epidemic in number one is currently considered the worst on of all so make sure you
stay tuned to find out more. Here are the top 10 worst epidemics in history.
Number 10. The Fifth Cholera Pandemic
The fifth cholera pandemic, which lasted from 1881–1896, was the fifth major international outbreak of
cholera in the 19th century. It spread throughout Asia and Africa, and reached parts of France, Germany,
Russia, and South America. It claimed 200,000 lives in Russia between 1893 and 1894; and 90,000 in
Japan between 1887 and 1889. While it lasted, it claimed 921,899 lives worldwide.
The 1892 outbreak in Hamburg, Germany was the only major European outbreak; about 8,600 people
died in that city. Many residents held the city government responsible for the virulence of the epidemic,
which eventually led to the cholera riots in 1893. This was the last serious European cholera outbreak of
the century.
American author Mark Twain, an avid traveler, visited Hamburg during the cholera outbreak, and he
described his experience in a short, uncollected piece dated "1891–1892". IN his writings, he notes
alarmingly the lack of information in Hamburg newspapers about the cholera event, particularly death
totals. He also criticizes the treatment of the poor, as many, Twain says, were getting "snatched from
their homes to the pest houses", where "a good many of them … die unknown and are buried so".
Number 9. The Hong Kong Flu
1968 flu pandemic, also called Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968 or Hong Kong flu of 1968, global
outbreak of influenza that originated in China in July 1968 and lasted until 1970. The outbreak was the
third influenza pandemic to occur in the 20th century; following the 1957 flu pandemic and the
influenza pandemic of 1918, both of which we will talk about in a bit. The 1968 flu pandemic resulted in
an estimated one million to four million deaths.
It was initiated by the emergence of a virus known as influenza A subtype H3N2. And although not really
proven, it is suspected that this virus evolved from the strain of influenza that caused the 1957
pandemic.
Although the 1968 flu outbreak was associated with comparatively few deaths worldwide, the virus was
highly contagious, a factor that facilitated its rapid spread globally. In fact, within two weeks of its
emergence in July 1968 in Hong Kong, some 500,000 cases of illness had been reported, and the virus
proceeded to spread swiftly throughout Southeast Asia. Within several months it had reached the
Panama Canal Zone and the United States, where it had been taken overseas by soldiers returning to
California from Vietnam. By the end of December, the virus had spread throughout the United States
and had reached the United Kingdom and countries in western Europe. Australia, Japan, and multiple
countries in Africa, eastern Europe, and Central and South America were also not spared.
Number 8. The Russian Flu
The Russian Flu of 1889, also known as the Asiatic Flu, was the last great pandemic of the 19 th century.
Its worldwide death toll reached 1.5 million people. Quite a lot, especially if you realize that the
worldwide population back then was only 1.5 billion. And although it happened more than a hundred
years ago, scientists to this day still aren’t quite sure to what actually caused it.
The flu was first reported in the Central Asian city of Bukhara in the Russian Empire, in May 1889. By the
end of the year, the virus has already spread to most regions of Russia. From there, it went
international. First Norway, and then Denmark, followed soon after. From there, it spread all across
Europe.
The first case on American soil was reported on December 18 th , 1889. It then quickly spread throughout
the East Coast and all the way to Chicago and Kansas in days. The first death, Thomas Smith of Canton,
Massachusetts, was reported on 25 December. San Francisco and other cities were also reached before
the month was over, with the total US death toll at about 13,000. From there it spread south to Mexico
and farther down, reaching Buenos Aires by February of that Year.
Number 7. The Sixth Cholera Pandemic
The sixth cholera pandemic largely didn’t affect western Europe and North America due to advances in
public health and sanitation. But the disease still ravaged India, Russia, the Middle East and northern
Africa and left a sizable death toll. By 1923, cholera cases had dissipated throughout much of the world,
except India—it killed more than half a million people in India alone in both 1918
Original Author: Produced by Top 5 Best and published on 31/12/2020 Source