With the outbreak of Corona Virus, many would think that it’s the worst pandemic to ever hit the world. On the contrary, contents101 will highlight on the top 10 pandemic to ever hit the world. Diseases have been ravaging mankind as long as history can recall. Most times this diseases change the course of history. Here are top 10 pandemics that have ever hit the world;

1. The Black Death (70-200million deaths)

The Black Death is a world pandemic that originated from Asia around 1346AD and lasted for almost 7 years. The Black Death plaque was caused by Bubonic Plague. Though originated from Asia ravaged Europe and Africa and was able to transmit to continents through infected rats living in merchant ships. The death toll of the Black Death was 75-200million deaths.

2. Flu Pandemic (20-50million deaths)

The Flu Pandemic is an influenza caused pandemic that ravaged the world between 1918 and 1920. The flu pandemic affected mostly third world countries infecting over 500 million people and killing 20-50million. The flu pandemic killed over 25 million within the first 25 weeks of the outbreak. Unlike other influenza which killed mostly adults and children, the flu pandemic killed youths as well.

3. HIV/AIDS (36 million deaths)

The HIV/AIDS was first discovered in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. At the moment there are over 31-35 million people living with HIV most of whom are Sub Saharan Africa where about 5% of the population is living with HIV. The virus have killed over 36 million people since 1981. With recent development of Antiviral drugs the death rate has dropped from 2.2 million to 1.6 million between 2005-2012.

4. Plague of Justinian (25million deaths)

The Justinian plague was the first time the world encountered a Bubonic Plague caused pandemic. The plague of Justinian occurred between 541-542AD in the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean port cities. It killed over 25million with an estimated death of about 5000 persons per day.

5. Antonin Plague (5 million deaths)

The Antonin plague also known as the Plague of Galen ravaged Egypt, Greece, Italy and Asian minors. The cause of the disease is unknown till date but was either Smallpox or Measles. The Antonin plague started in Rome, Italy in 165AD after a group of Roman soldiers returned from Mesopotamia. The Antonin plague killed over 5million people and decimated the Roman Army

6. Asian Flu (2million)

The Asian flu is a H2N2 subtype influenza caused pandemic that ravaged the Chinese province of Guizhou to Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States between 1956-1958. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the death toll of Asian flu to be 2million with 69800 deaths in the US

7. Hong Kong Flu Pandemic (1 million deaths)

A category 2 Flu pandemic otherwise known as the Hong Kong flu hit Hong Kong in 1968. The pandemic was caused by a H3N2 strain of the Influenza A virus, a genetic offshoot of the H2N2 subtype. Within three months of the outbreak, the disease has spread to Philippines, India, Australia, Europe, and the United States. The Flu pandemic killed over 1 million people. Hong Kong had the highest mortality with over 500,000.

8. Third Cholera pandemic (1million deaths)

The Third Cholera pandemic was the most deadly cholera outbreak. The third Cholera pandemic lasted from 1852-1860 and killed over 1 million people. The outbreak originated in India and spread from the Ganges River Delta before tearing through Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. Contaminated water was identified as the means of transmission by a British physician John Snow, while working in a poor area of London

9. Asiatic Flu Pandemic (1 million deaths)

TheAsiatic Flu pandemic was thought to be caused by a virus subtype H2N2 but recent discoveries indicate it was a virus subtype H3N8. It’s also known as the Russian Flu. The Asiatic flu was discovered in three different locations Bukhara in Central Asia (Turkestan), Athabasca in northwestern Canada, and Greenland in 1889. The outbreak spread through out the globe due to population grownup in Urban areas. The Asiatic flu killed over 1 million people.

10. Sixth Cholera pandemic (800,000+ deaths)

The Sixth Cholera pandemic first hit India in 1910 before it spread to Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia. The Sixth Cholera pandemic was the last cholera outbreak in America. The Sixth Cholera pandemic killed over 800,000 people.