Future of us
Epidemics and Pandemics in Human History
By- Riya Patel
In this article I'm going to be discussing the epidemics and pandemics that have occurred in our world thus far. I think it's really important to know about what has happened in the world and to be aware and educate yourself. I'm also curious myself and wanted to do research on some of the epidemics and pandemics that have occurred in the past.
The Spanish Flu 1918-1920
The Spanish flu, which is also known as the influenza pandemic, was one of the most severe pandemics that have happened in human history. The flu was caused by an H1N1 virus gene of avian origin. It was first brought to attention by military personnel in the spring of 1918. About 500 million people (⅓) of the world's population was infected. At least 50 million people in the world died and 675,000 occurred in the United States. There was also no vaccine to protect against the influenza infection. The H1N1 virus caused the one of the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century. The virus started in 1918 and ended in 1920, lasting 2 years.
Asian Flu 1957-1958
A new influenza virus emerged in East Asia and was first reported in Singapore and Hong Kong in February of 1957. It is known to have originated from a mutation in wild ducks combining with a pre-existing human strain. In the first couple of months of the virus, it spread through many regions of China. By summer, it reaches the United States. The estimated number of deaths was about 116,000 in the United States and the number of estimated deaths was 1.1 million worldwide. A vaccine was introduced a little while after and slowed down the pandemic. The pandemic itself lasted until 1958. By 1968, the Asian flu had completely disappeared and is believed to have vanished and lost in the wild.
H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic: 2009-2010
The H1N1 Swine flu pandemic lasted from January 2009 to August 2010. There were 491,382 confirmed cases and 700 million to 1.4 billion suspected cases, as well as 284,000 deaths. The virus was known to be a combination of viruses from humans, birds, and pigs. It was a respiratory infection in humans. The symptoms of this disease were very similar to the ones of other flus. Some people had mild symptoms, while others had very severe ones. The vaccine that was used in this pandemic were the same ones that were developed to protect against the other pandemics that had occurred.
West African Ebola epidemic: 2014-2016
Ebola started on December 26th, 2013 and ended on June 9th, 2016. No one really knows what caused Ebola but scientists believe that it most likely came from bats, which then transmitted the Ebola virus and infected other humans and animals. The virus first started to spread to people who came in direct contact with the animal tissues, blood, and body fluids. Ebola spread to the United States in September 2014. There were 28,652 cases in total and 11,325 confirmed deaths. There’s no cure for Ebola, but scientists do have many experimental treatments being developed. There have been no new cases and the World Health Organization has officially announced that the outbreak is over.