New viruses are known for spreading pandemonia across continents fairly regularly in the modern world. As history has shown, this is not an entirely new concept, with a long list of historically frightening viruses making the cut for their rapid impact on society and their effects on various cross-border cultures too. Technology has made viruses easier to manage, but that doesn’t mean that new strains aren’t popping up all over the world.
Disease In Africa
Let’s explore some of the existing viruses which have significance in modern history, and left its mark on humanity just as the recent virus spreading around the world.
1. Ebola, 2004-2015 (11,000 Deaths)
West Africa
The name might be slightly melodic, but this disease is nothing like a symphony. This disease is lethal, and causes blood to seep through the eyeballs. A majority of the Ebola strains cause a fever that causes hemorrhaging, killing thousands in its wake since it was first discovered in the late 1970’s. Earning its name from the river of the same name in the DRC, this virus is considered one of the deadliest on the planet. Likely to spread through bodily secretions, if you contract the virus your likelihood of dying is anywhere between 50 and 90%. What starts as a sore throat and a headache can take a turn for the worst, and with no known cure, it may be the last illness you contract.
Ebola
2. Marburg, 2005-2015 (12,000 Deaths)
West Africa
German and Serbian lab workers contracted a new strain of hemorrhagic fever from virus bearing African green monkeys that had been sent to their lab to assist with research on polio vaccines. The severity of the virus was understated at first, although it now boasts a mortality rate of up to 90%. Initial symptoms include headache and fever, with internal bleeding and organ failure following as it spreads. To this day there is no cure, and the most recent case featured an American tourist who explored a Ugandan cave full of fruit bats, contracting the disease and bringing it back with him to U.S soil.
Marburg
3. Hantavirus, 1993-2013 (600 Deaths)
Southwestern United States
The hantavirus is tricky as it leaves many airborne strains, especially through its primary carrier, namely rodents. To make matters worse, different strains have a different effect on different people. HFRS is common as part of this virus, which was first brought to the attention of authorities during the Korean War. In 1993 it hit the United States, which escalated matters substantially. In its worst form, this virus can lead to kidney failure, leading the victim to a state of distress following their lungs filling with fluid. With a mortality rate of up to 15%, the most recent outbreak happened around 2012 in Yosemite.
Hantavirus
4. Lassa, 1969-1970 (5,000 Deaths)
West Africa
Lassa is a BSL-4 virus, which is spread through rodents. Typically carried by a West African species called Mastonys, this virus is also airborne and tends to lurk around rat feces. Luckily, it doesn’t spread as easily among humans, who can only do so via bodily secretions. With a mortality rate of around 15%, it causes over 5000 deaths in West Africa each year. It starts with a fever, turning to chest pain, and ultimately even creating mucosal bleeding and deadness. Luckily, there are antiviral drugs out there to help tread this virus, especially when it is caught in the early stages.
Lassa
5. Rabies (59,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
Rabies is one of the most well-known diseases on the list, especially as it has a recorded history dating back to 2300 BC, when the Babylonians experienced symptoms from being bitten by rabid dogs. It’s never fun to get rabies, but luckily these days modern medicine can help to prevent it entirely through a series of available and affordable vaccinations. Exposure is still common these days from dog bites, but it only becomes problematic if the virus is left untreated. This can cause the central nervous system to shut down, causing hallucinations, rage and violent behavior. Some call it a process of turning into a zombie. Imagine what it would be like if it became airborne!
Rabies
6. Smallpox, 1949-1980, (400,000 Deaths Per Year)
Worldwide
Smallpox is well known around the world as something that wiped out hundreds of millions of people within the span of a few centuries. Some may be quick to point the finger to other species, but unfortunately, this disease is only carried by humans. Coming in a range of types, with this virus you can expect to get a fever, rash and even blistering. Luckily, in modern times it is officially considered eradicated, thanks in large due to a global effort to get vaccinations done. No cases have been reported since 1979, but naturally, this can change at any time.
Smallpox
7. Dengue (22,000 Deaths Per Year)
Worldwide
Dengue is a nasty tropical disease that masquerades as an infection, causing high fever and headaches, and sometimes even internal bleeding. Fortunately, it is treatable and non-contagious, but it may not be as simple as that. There are no vaccinations available and it is easy to pick this up while traveling, especially if you get bitten by a mosquito. 33% of the world’s population is subsequently at risk, with over 100 million cases being reported each year. Bug spray, anyone?
Dengue
8. Influenza, Early 1900’s (50,000,000 deaths)
Worldwide
Influenza is likely the most commonly known and cited worldwide pandemics. Beginning with the outbreak of the Spanish flu in the early 1900’s, it is well documented as one of the worst outbreaks of any virus, killing fifty million people over the span of 24 months. Thankfully, effective vaccines exist, and these days most people survive infections, even though respiratory illnesses are always tricky. Thousands of strains exist at any given time, and 40% of strains are actively monitored for being the most problematic in the U.S.
Influenza
9. HIV/AIDS Pandemic, 32 Million People Died Of HIV (770,000 Yearly Death)
Worldwide
36 million people died in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The disease was first found in the DRC in Africa in the late 1970’s, slowly killing a series of people over the next few years. Back then, living with the infection, which is spread through bodily fluid contact, typically during sex, was not as easy to live with as it is today. 35 million people have HIV today, but awareness and new antiretrovirals have made it possible for people with access to healthcare to lead relatively normal lives. In recent years, the global deaths from the illness have dropped by 500 000, indicating that the battle is slowly being won.
HIV AIDS
10. Flu Pandemic, 1968 (Killed A Million People)
Asia
The flu pandemic of 1968 killed a million people within a very short space of time. Often referred to as the “Hong Kong Flu”, this virus was influenza led and first reported in July. Less than three weeks later, the virus had spread from Hong Kong to Vietnam and Singapore, and three months later it had hit some of the major developed economies. The mortality rate was relatively low, albeit that 50% of deaths were in Hong Kong, dipping its population by more than 10% at the time. A flu pandemic is frightening because it spreads very quickly, and can bring economies to a standstill, with people off from work and unable to risk spreading it to their colleagues
Flu Pandemic
11. Asian Flu, 1956-1958 (Over 2,000,000 Deaths)
Asia
Similarly, the Asian flu spread very quickly, albeit this time from China, lasting two years. Two million people lost their lives during this time, especially when it spread to Hong Kong, Singapore, and even America. While some sources dispute the stats, the WHO cites nearly 70 000 deaths in North America alone, and still considers the Asian Flu to be one of the worst influenza pandemics that humans have had to deal with in recent times. Similarly to what would follow in 1968, little was known about the virus at first, although the second time around they had existing data to try and curb infections a little faster.
Asian Flu
12. Flu Pandemic, 1918, (Over 20,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
It is estimated that between 20 and 50 million people lost their lives in a global flu pandemic, which originated in 1918 and lasted only two years. A whopping 33% of the world’s population was infected, with a million people dying weekly in the first six months. This pandemic was different from others with similar origins, particularly because it didn’t just affect young children and the elderly. This time, it took no prisoners, and everyone was likely to contract it. Strangely, those with weaker immune systems were less likely to pick up the virus, meaning the majority of the population ended up carrying the burden of the disease. Strange, but proof that anything is possible!
Flu Pandemic 1918
13. Cholera: Sixth Pandemic, 1910-1911 (1,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
Cholera has always been a killer, especially so as it had five instances before the most lethal, sixth one. The 1910 to 1911 outbreak killed nearly 1 000 000 people across four continents. This would be the last time that it would be seen on American soil, particularly as authorities had learned from previous situations, acting quickly to isolate and quarantine infections as soon as they were spotted. By 1923 there were still some cases in India, but most of the world had recovered fully.
Cholera Sixth Pandemic
14. Flu Pandemic, 1889-1890 (1,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
The 1800’s didn’t end all too swiftly in Asia and Russia, mostly because of the flu pandemic of 1889. A million lives were lost since the first observation in May, which happened in three locations at the same time, namely Turkestan, Athabasca and Greenland. Populations were rapidly on the rise heading into the 1900’s, so the outbreak spread to more people than initially anticipated. This was the first true epidemic of the era, and researchers saw it as their opportunity to learn as much as possible from it. This would make a tremendous difference in the prevention and isolation of any future cases which may lead to a similar pandemic.
Flu Pandemic 1889
15. Cholera: Third Pandemic, 1852-1860 (1,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
We’ve spoken of the sixth pandemic of Cholera, but perhaps it helps to also speak about the third. In fact, this one was considered to be the most deadly, claiming over a million lives in its wake. Eight years in the making, the outbreak hit Asia, Europe, North America and Canada, doing its most to wipe out a substantial proportion of the populations in each. The origin of the outbreak? Contaminated water, especially when it came to retransmission. Although this helped to curb future infections, the same year saw thousands of deaths in countries from all continents mentioned.
Cholera Third Pandemic
16. The Black Deathm, 1346-1353 (Over 70,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
The Black Death is often referenced in popular culture as a truly dark time for civilization. A staggering 70 to 200 million people are estimated to have died from the bubonic plague during this time, which spanned only seven years. Known to have originated in Asia, it jumped continents via fleas and rodents, especially on merchant ships. Urban centers were hard hit, especially if they relied on ports for trade between countries. This became a breeding ground for the bubonic plague, which flourished in these dirty environments, causing death and destruction in its wake without much understanding about why this was happening, particularly as a technology was far from where we are today.
The Black Death
17. Plague of Justinian, 541-542 (25,000,000 Deaths)
Worldwide
A little known historically frightening virus dates back to 541, killing 25 million people over the course of just twelve months. Once again, the bubonic plague was to blame, wiping out half the population of Europe. Port cities were vulnerable to the disease, as a breeding ground for rodents and fleas, and the Eastern Mediterranean population felt the wrath of this almost instantly since the first case was discovered. 5000 people were dropping dead each day, with some cities losing 1 in 4 citizens. Unfortunately, when it happened again in 1346, civilizations hadn’t learned much to prevent extensive death tolls.
Plague Of Justinian
18. Antonine Plague, 165 AD (Over 5,000,000 Deaths)
Europe
5 million people died as a result of the Antonine Plague, which to this day still doesn’t have an official cause. Alternatively known as the Plague of Galen, European cities were most affected, though at the time it was hard for researchers to distinguish between these deaths and people dying of smallpox and measles. Soldiers brought the unknown disease back from battles in Rome, and millions died, including nearly the entire Roman army. Sometimes it’s the enemy you can’t see that causes more problems than the one can
Antonie Plague
19. Tuberculosis, 19th Century (Over 2,000,000 Deaths)
Euorope
TB is a well-known disease that has been around for centuries, with the first recorded cases coming from Egyptian mummies back in 3000 BC. The 19th and 20th centuries were plagued by the disease, attacking the lungs and other parts of the body, before taking out its victims through the brain. Up to 90% of European populations in urban cities had been affected by TB by the end of the 19th century, with 80% of people dying as a result of this. These days, TB is rare in developed nations, second only to HIV/AIDS. Millions still contract the disease each year, especially those with weak immune systems, albeit more closely linked to people who suffer from HIV/AIDS, which weakens your immune system substantially.
Tuberculosis
20. Malaria (584,000 Deaths Per Yaer)
Africa
Malaria is still a common killer in developing nations in modern times, especially those on the broader African continent. 90% of malaria victims live in these regions, with 207 million cases being reported by the WHO in 2012. Europe has had some reported cases in recent years, but preventative measures and vaccinations have made it a more curable disease. Caused by parasites that are transmitted through bites from mosquitos, the likelihood of someone from an advanced economy to catch the disease and die from it is only elevated when traveling to an African nation.
Malaria
21. Polio (6,000 Yaerly Deaths In The United States)
Worldwide
Polio is less well known as paralytic poliomyelitis, which gives more of an indication as to what it does to the body. It results in the total breakdown of the nervous system, causing paralysis and eventually leading to death. The 1940’s & 50’s were rife with polio across all major continents, leading to travel bans between major nations and the United States. This was spurred on by 3000 Americans dying from it, with over 20 000 being paralysed in a single year. Thankfully, vaccines have been developed and are freely available, with hopes of eradicating the disease increasing, especially as a result of an increase in global education.
Polio
22. Zika Virus
Africa
Zika originated in Africa, spread mostly by mosquitoes, and affecting countries where access to healthcare is somewhat limited. Thankfully adults traditionally only have mild symptoms from the infection, which is somewhat of a barrier, considering people don’t consider themselves to be very ill, only going to the doctor when it may be in a progressed state. The most problematic cases involve pregnant women and babies. Zika has taken its time to spread to other countries, recently crossing into the borders of more advanced economies, but isolated more effectively than possible in impoverished regions.
Zika Virus
23. Anthrax, Bioterrorism
United States
Anthrax made headlines around the world in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, especially as it was starting to be used in terrorist scares and attacks. The disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Not only planted and found in terrorist attacks, it can also be traced to the soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals in various locations around the world. Educate yourself about the signs to look out for and do your part to ensure that it doesn’t become a problem in your local community by being mindful of the symptoms to look out for.
Anthrax
24. Hepatitis C (400,000 Yearly Deaths)
Worldwide
Hepatitis C is a liver-based infection that damages the organ beyond repair as a result of a viral attack. Nearly four million people in America actively have the disease, though the problem is that it causes so few symptoms that most people don’t even know that they have it in the first place. Spreading through blood or bodily fluids, it can be too late once a doctor is able to diagnose the illness. It becomes even more tricky when you consider that there are various forms of the virus, with the most usual form of it being type 1. While the types are fairly similar, the problem is that they each have a different treatment method, likely leaving your GP with the need to play vaccination charades for a while.
Hepatitis C
25. Yellow Fever (30,000 Yearly Deaths)
Africa
Yellow fever is a common disease that is spread via mosquitoes in most of North Africa and South America. Vaccinations are often compulsory when traveling to and from these areas, with most injections giving you 10 years of protection from the disease. At times, it may cause headaches, nausea and vomiting, with more advanced cases leading to heart, kidney and liver problems. Currently, no treatment for the disease exists, which leads governments to prioritize managing symptoms and raising awareness about getting vaccinated for the disease as a priority.
Yellow Fever