The world has faced pandemics since the very beginning of civilization. Zoonotic diseases-diseases spread by animals-have affected us for long, well before COVID-19 took centre stage. Animals have often acted as vectors in spreading these diseases due to factors such as lack of sanitation facilities (such as in the wet markets of China). Like the present, pandemics in the past have also caused major havoc and destruction. Let’s now look at some of the worst pandemics in the history of Man-kind.

1)Plague of Justinian (541 CE).

This pandemic was the first ever known bubonic plague, a disease that usually infects small mammals like rats, fleas etc. In most cases, the rat fleas bite rats and act as a vector by spreading the disease to humans .Once it reaches the lungs it is highly contagious among humans. It evolved in Central Asia and spread to the Byzantine empire through land and sea routes. Its capital Constantinople was greatly affected. The disease had claimed about 100 million lives.

2)The Black Death (1347-1351 CE).

The Black Death is considered the worst pandemic in human history. It was the second bubonic plague which again originated from Central Asia and spread across the continent. It had reached Caffa in Russia from where the disease then spread to Europe. It reached the inland European areas and spread in the slum areas. The disease is said to have claimed over 200 million lives worldwide and 25% of Europe’s population was wiped out. It took two hundred years for Europe to recover back to its pre-pandemic demography. The Black Death was an endemic meaning, it could resurface during the subsequent years. Preventive measures had been taken up, especially in Venice, Italy where ships had to wait for 40 days. The word quarantine was derived from the word ‘quaranta’

3)Smallpox.

Smallpox was a disease caused by a virus, originated in Asia about 10,000 years ago. Its major outbreaks were in Africa, Japan, India, South America, Europe at the time of exploration and colonization. There were estimated deaths of 150-200 million until 1980, when it was eradicated. The native populace of South America was worst affected and their population reduced drastically from 50 million to 1 million.

4)Influenza (1918-1919)

Influenza is a disease caused by a virus which is difficult to control because of its mutation ability. It spread all over the world soon after World War 1. It is said to have infected over 500 million and resulted in 50 million deaths worldwide

5)HIV-AIDS (1957-Present day).

AIDS, which affects 2 million people per year, is believed to have originated in Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a sexually, blood to blood transmitted disease that spread in North America in 1964. It was then discovered in 1983 in Paris. The virus is known to weaken the immune system and facilitate the invasion of other diseases. It has caused almost 30-45 million deaths in 30 years and was declared as a pandemic in 2005. Currently 40 million are infected with HIV-AIDS.

The COVID-19 virus is now threatening humanity worldwide. If anything, these past pandemics provide a prologue for future and present pandemics . Humanity has been able to defend itself against missiles but not against microbes. It is our duty to abide the government rules and stay safe.