Major Pandemics Through History

Getty Images: ullstein bild

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By Jennifer Shyue ’17

Published Jan. 21, 2016

1 min read

The Ebola outbreak that was first reported in March 2014 has infected more than 28,000 people, with more than 11,300 deaths.

Pandemics are generally defined as epidemics that occur over a wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people. Following are some of history’s largest pandemics, with their estimated death tolls.

Compiled by Jennifer Shyue ’17

OTC-Plague-Justinian.jpg

Getty Images: ullstein bild

Plague of Justinian 
Byzantine Empire
Bubonic plague
25 million

Getty Images: Hulton Archive

Black Death
Europe
Bubonic plague
75–200 million

Getty Images: Culture Club

Third Plague Pandemic
China/India and beyond
Bubonic plague 
12 million

Getty Images: PhotoQuest

1918 Flu Pandemic
Worldwide
H1N1 influenza virus
24–40 million

Getty Images: Photofusion

HIV/AIDS
Worldwide
HIV
39 million

Sources: Centers for Disease Control; World Health Organization; Wikipedia; The New York Times

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