The Biggest Outbreaks Throughout History

For most of human history, contagious illnesses were one of the most significant threats a population could face. Without modern medicine or cleanliness standards, illnesses quickly spread, resulting in thousands perishing. A serious outbreak could be enough to decimate a city and eliminate entire families. Over the course of history, there have been plenty of unpleasant outbreaks. These five outbreaks top the list of worst outbreaks throughout time.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS has been a modern pandemic that we are still struggling to get under control. This disease has been incredibly destructive as it spreads very easily, has potentially fatal symptoms, and is greatly misunderstood. The earliest documented case of HIV is from 1959, but it managed to spread quietly throughout the world before it was finally noticed. The AIDS epidemic was worsened by the misconception that it only existed among the homosexual population, which is simply not true, and resulted in many heterosexual individuals not taking the proper precautions to avoid it. Despite new treatments that slow down the progression of the disease, it continues to claim many lives. At least twenty-five million people have succumbed to AIDS, and over sixty million individuals have been infected with HIV. HIV cases are diminishing in some areas, but in other regions, it continues to flourish. For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa, one in five adults are currently infected with HIV.

SARS

SARS may not have as many casualties as some of the other viruses on this list, but it is quite unusual for the number of fatalities it caused in just a short amount of time. It was first noticed in 2002 when the Chinese population initially thought they had a mild case of the flu. However, the disease quickly spread, and it became apparent that it was not the flu, asit began taking patients' lives. Scientists managed to stop this devasting disease by 2004. Before it was stoppedin its tracks, it had infected individuals throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. A particularly concerning problem with SARS is that there is no known cure or vaccine. Once a patient gets it, all that the doctors can do is try to provide support and care for the symptoms. In the young and healthy, there is a fatality rate of about ten percent, but among the old or ill, the fatality rate soars to over fifty percent.

Ebola

This is another modern disease that is already taking its place in history as one of the worst possible outbreaks. Ebola is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever. This means that it causes a dangerously high fever while also causing patients to bleed internally and externally. Many of its victims end up perishing due to low blood pressure from excessive fluid loss. On average, the virus claims half of all the patients it infects, and individuals who are already weak have an increased chance of not surviving this terrible virus. The disease had its first identified outbreak in 1976 in Africa. Since then, there have been several other outbreaks. Altogether, it has resulted in thousands of casualties. Though primarily in West Africa, it has spread to a few other continents as well.

Measles

Measles is a highly infectious disease that causesred-spotted skin, a runny nose, and a high fever. The fever itself can be fatal, and many patients suffer from even more serious complications like pneumonia and brain inflammation. This condition has been around since ancient times. Most of the time, it is present at low levels in all communities, but occasionally, a flare up sweeps through a large population. Many scientists estimate that the horrible plagues of the antiquities, such as the Antonine Plague of 165-180 AD, may have actually been measles. This disease has been particularly devastating when a population without any immunity encounters it. For example, the measles has claimed the lives of half of the population of Honduras in 1529, and in the 1850s, it wiped out twenty percent of all Hawaiians. Before the vaccination, roughly eight million children died each year from this disease.

Cholera

Cholera is a little unique among outbreaks because there was no single outbreak that made the top of the list. However, when all of the cases are combined, it is easy to see that this disease has been responsible for millions of casualties. The first cases of cholera were reported in India around 1817, but it rapidly spread around the world. It tends to come in waves, flaring up in a violent pandemic before disappearing for a few years. America alone has faced three serious epidemics between 1832 and 1866. At the height of the outbreak, approximately six patients were perishing per day from this disease. Many individuals did not even know the cause of it until Dr. John Snow discovered that the Broad Street cholera outbreak in London was connected to a specific well. This illness spreads through unclean drinking water, and it causes severe diarrhea and vomiting that can make a patient fatally dehydrated. Even in modern times, the condition continues to cause problems. The World Health Organization estimates that 120,000 individuals expire from cholera every single year.