Seven Serious Epidemics Facing Humanity

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

7 serious epidemics people already faced but survived

Disease-causing bacteria and viruses are invisible and insidious enemies that have repeatedly threatened the world's population with complete extinction. For the entire period of human existence, terrible epidemics broke out, but people survived even after the invasion of the most deadly infections.

Justinian's plague

The first pandemic, which was recorded in detail in the annals, raged for one and a half hundred years. An outbreak of the Justinian plague occurred in 540-541 in Ethiopia or Egypt, and the disease quickly spread to neighboring countries along trade routes.

In Constantinople, from 5 to 10 thousand people died every day. The symptoms were very diverse: choking, swelling, fever. They were observed in the patient for several days, after which a painful death occurred. In the East, the disease claimed the lives of 66 million people, and in Europe 25 million people died.

Smallpox

A highly contagious infection called smallpox, a large, ugly rash appeared on the body. Outwardly, it seemed that not a single living place remained on the body.

The disease is caused by two types of viruses, and each of which has a certain degree of lethality. "Variola major" is considered the most dangerous pathogen, as it leads to the death of its victim in 40-90% of cases. If a person manages to survive, characteristic scars remain on the skin, but the saddest thing is complete or partial loss of vision.

Smallpox wiped out a large percentage of the population in China, Korea and Japan in the 4th-5th centuries AD, and then flared up many times in various countries of Asia and Europe.

Plague

The frightening image of the plague doctor in a cloak and a mask with a beak is a symbol of a terrible epidemic that literally mowed down humanity in the Middle Ages. The bubonic plague raged in 1346-1353 and took the lives of tens of millions of people.

It had various forms, the most common of which were pulmonary and bubonic. Before dying, the unfortunate's skin darkened, so the pandemic had another name - "Black Death". Most of all, the plague affected the population of Europe, although, according to available data, the primary outbreak of infection was recorded in Asia.

English sweat

The fatal illness, called "English sweat", is still considered one of the most mysterious ailments of the past. Modern scientists to this day cannot find answers to all questions related to this disease.

It is only known that the epidemic started in the British Isles in the 15th century. For five weeks, a terrible attack took the lives of a huge number of people and flared up several more times over the century (and not only in England) - the "sweating ailment" reached Novgorod.

It is characteristic that a person died in the first day, covered with profuse sweat, suffering from joint pain and high temperature. If the patient managed to overcome the fatal 24 hours, then, as a rule, he recovered. But there were only a few such lucky ones.

Cholera

Cholera epidemics still occur in countries with unsanitary living conditions, lack of clean drinking water and very low living standards. The bacteria cause acute intestinal disease, in which the body quickly loses fluid - dehydration develops, leading to death.

There are several cholera pandemics in history. The first was recorded in the period 1816-1824 in Asia. The subsequent ones affected various countries, including Russia. Not so long ago, an outbreak of cholera killed 7% of Haiti's population.

Spanish flu

The word "Spanish" makes even modern virologists shudder. In recent history, this is the most formidable infection that raged in Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

While the countries were at war with each other, a much more dangerous and uncompromising enemy moved on them - a new strain of influenza, leading to a rapid death. The spread of the disease was facilitated by many factors, in particular, the development of the transport system. Therefore, the "Spanish flu" attacked almost the entire world, destroying, according to some sources, 2.7-5.3% of the world's population.

Ebola virus

At one time, information about the "Ebola virus" did not leave TV screens and pages of news resources on the Internet. Hemorrhagic fever is the scourge of the African continent.

The disease made itself felt in 1976, but the most complex and largest epidemic was observed in West Africa in 2014-2016. The virus is transmitted by close contact with a sick person.

It is difficult for a weakened body to cope with the disease, and while work was underway to create a vaccine, Ebola fever took thousands of lives. At the moment, the spread of the virus can be contained with the help of the latest drugs.