VIRUSES, BARELY NOT DESTROYING HUMANITY: TOP-6

Photos for reviews VIRUSES, BARELY NOT DESTROYING HUMANITY: TOP-6
The spread of dangerous viruses is perhaps the most popular plot of quest rooms and apocalyptic films. But all these conspiracies, mankind lived in reality - epidemics that even after centuries make a person freeze and think. Now mankind has almost learned to defeat deadly diseases. Questroom suggests recalling the most dangerous part of them, which only made a person stronger.

PIG INFLUENZA: 285-580 THOUSAND VICTIMS

The pandemic broke out in 2009. Unlike other pandemics, swine flu was opposed to the entire powerful modern healthcare system, but it was still very deadly. The virus was a variant of the known strain H1N1. This infection caused a terrible outbreak of Spanish flu in 1918. At least 20% of the world's population was infected. Its distribution was especially strong in the United States, where 113,690 cases of infection and more than 3 thousand deaths were confirmed. Other mutations of the same virus that caused the Asian flu epidemic in 1958 and 1968 are thought to have caused the deaths of millions of people around the world. However, in general, their mortality rate was lower.

JUSTINIANA Plague (bubonic plague): 25-50 MILLION VICTIMS

The bubonic plague came from China. He first arrived in Europe around 540. The disease plagued the continent for approximately 200 years, and during this time the local population decreased by 50%. The Greek chronicler Procopius of Caesarea wrote: after reaching the summit, the plague killed 10,000 people in Constantinople daily. There was not enough space for the burial of the dead, so the corpse simply lay on the street. Residents were afraid to bury their loved ones. The exact number of deaths caused by the plague of Justinian will probably never be established. But historians believe that it was one of the deadliest in history. According to modern estimates, between two and 50 million people have died in two centuries of terror. In those days, it represented almost a quarter of the world's population.

HIV / AIDS: 35 MILLION VICTIMS

The first clinical report of AIDS came on July 5, 1981, reporting five cases of infection in the United States. By the end of 1982, there were already 771 cases in the country. In the same year, 618 virus victims died. Currently, around 40 million people remain HIV-infected. By that time, 35 million patients had died from AIDS after the virus was discovered. At first it was believed that homosexuals became his victims. But later it turned out that its effect is much wider. HIV can spread through infected blood and other fluids in the human body. It is believed that he first appeared in Africa. Monkeys first suffered from the virus in 1920. Sub-Saharan Africa is considered the most affected region. In South Africa and Botswana in 2017, nearly a quarter of deaths were caused by HIV / AIDS. There are currently no drugs or vaccines against the virus. Although there are therapeutic methods that can slow down the development of the disease and allow patients to live a normal life.

SPANISH INFLUENZA: 50-100 MILLION VICTIMS

In 1918, when the world was recovering from the First World War, a new strain of the virus appeared - H1N1. It has infected 500 million people in all corners of the planet, even in very remote places. The total number of deaths has reached at least 50 million and, according to some estimates, 100 million. In 1919-1920, schools and theaters were closed, and some of them were used as morgues. The source of the virus was a field in France. However, the flu is still called "Spanish." The fact is that at that time newspapers in neutral Spain were not burdened by the censorship of wartime. Therefore, they quickly began to write about the outbreak of a deadly virus. He disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. It is believed that the "Spanish flu" has become a less deadly disease. However, this cannot be said for sure. The outbreak of Spanish flu is considered the deadliest epidemic of all time.

BLACK DEATH: 75-200 MILLION

Distributed in Europe and Asia in 1340-1350. It was one of the most contagious pandemics in the history of mankind, killing approximately 75 to 200 million people. Historians are convinced that its spread began in China. The virus crossed the Silk Road and appeared first in the Crimea, and then throughout Europe. The world population at that time was about 475 million people. Black death has reduced this figure to 350 million. It took mankind 200 years to restore its population. Norwegian historian Ole Benediktov suggests that the number of deaths can be significant: “The data are widespread and sufficient to conclude that the“ black death ”destroyed about 60% of the European population. According to estimates, the population of Europeans at that time was about 80. This means that about 50 million people died from the "black death". Smaller epidemics continued in Europe until the 19th century, and in the United States until 1908. In October 2017, the most deadly plague epidemic occurred in Madagascar. The virus has infected thousands of people and killed 170 people.

Smallpox: about 300 million victims

The causative agent was the only human disease that was completely eradicated. And until it was completely eradicated, thanks to the vaccination program that began in the 1960s, smallpox killed about 300 million people in the 20th century alone. The virus was ancient. Its traces were found in samples of mummies from ancient Egypt. Until the eighteenth century, about 400 thousand Europeans died of this every year. And even more, he remained blind or disfigured. History shows that smallpox even became the first biological weapon. For example, the British army used it against the French, as well as against the American Indians in the battles for American rule in the 1750s. Fort Pitt unit commander William Trent described how he spread the disease to members of the Delaware tribe during peace talks. “As a sign of honor, we presented them with two blankets and scarves from the clinic for smallpox. I hope that the desired effect is, ”he wrote.
25.03.2020
Other Articles