These are the deadliest disease outbreaks in history

As of 25 February, more than 112 million cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, with more than 2.49 million deaths. Let's take a look back at the most devastating pandemics our population has suffered over the centuries.

HIV/AIDS Outbreak

Location: Worldwide

Cause: HIV/AIDs

Timeline: Ongoing

Death Toll: 32 million

Genetic history shows that the pandemic is likely to have originated from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo from non-human primates. As one of Africa’s most well-connected railway cities, the spread of the virus would not have been difficult. While there are many sub-groups of the virus, the HIV-1 subgroup M causes the majority of infections globally. Most victims do not die directly from HIV/AIDS, but diseases that take advantage of the patient’s weakened immune system.

Plague Of Justinian

Location: Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, Sasanian Empire

Cause: Bubonic Plague

Timeline: 541-542 AD

Death Toll: 25-50 million

Suspected as the first recorded occurrence of Bubonic Plague in history, at its peak the plague killed up to 5,000 people per day in the city of Constantinople, ultimately killing 40% of the city’s inhabitants. The spread of the virus is thought to have been caused by rats being transported on merchant ships from Egypt. Historians named the pandemic after Justinian I, the emperor at the time of the plague, and a survivor of the disease.

Black Death

Cause: Bubonic Plague

Timeline: 1347-1351 (Peak)

Death Toll: 75-250 million

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, having killed an estimated 30-60% of Europe’s population. It took 200 years for the world population to recover to its previous level. Fever and vomiting blood were common symptoms, with most victims dying within 2-7 days of infection. The plague disease spread by populations of fleas carried by various rodents, transported by merchant ships. New outbreaks were reported as late as the 19th century.

Spanish Flu

Location: Worldwide

Cause: Influenza

Timeline: 1918-1920

Death Toll: 50-100 million

The epicentre of the Spanish Flu outbreak is thought to have been a hospital camp in Etaples, France, and quickly spread to various military camps during WW1. It infected 500 million people around the world and killed between 3-5% of Earth’s population. Due to wartime censorship, many countries did not report about the illness. As a neutral country, Spanish papers were free to report on the pandemic, giving rise to the nickname 'Spanish Flu.'