The History of Pandemics

With the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, a sudden interest of pandemics in general has swept the public. This blog series will give you a brief overview of pandemics, how it has effected history and possibly our future. 

The Plague Of Justinian 

The first ever recorded pandemic dates back to 541 ce. The Plague of Justinian was the first ever recorded plague pandemic and had lasting effects on the Byzantine Empire. Originating in Egypt, the plague soon moved in two directions : north to Alexandria and east to Palestine. The means of transmission for the plague was the black rat which boarded the carts and grain ships sent to Constantinople as tribute. 

The plague hit the streets of Constantinople in 542 ce and gave the locals a sense of it’s wrath. 
The Plague of Justinian refers to the ruler at the time, Justinian I. 

About 30 to 50 million fell victim to the plague. Although this information could be inaccurate or exaggerated given that records weren’t as well kept back then.



The Spanish Flu

The infamous Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 was not only one of the most terrifying and gruesome pandemics in the world but also a frightening event in history.

Around one third of the world’s population at the time fell victim to the Spanish flu. 

It was caused by a H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.



The Ebola Pandemic 

The Ebola pandemic although wasn’t as fatal as the other two but it is important to look at different pandemics regardless of their impact to get a wider understanding of pandemics in general.

Ebola originated in the African continent and it has been estimated that around 11,323 people fell victim to the pandemic spanning from 2014 - 2016. 

Recently on June 1st, a report was made about another Ebola outbreak sweeping the northwest side of the Republic of Congo. 



This blog will continue in other parts and I will be posting about the current situation as well as my research on previous pandemics. For now my research continues. 

If you liked my blog and want more parts, don’t forget to show your support through following and commenting this blog. That way I know that my research is actually being put to use.

Stay safe 













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