Panic and pandemics

The Black Death (1347-1351)

In the 14th century, the worlds population was estimated
at 450 million people. It is now known as the bubonic
plague. It was called the Black Death then because the
sailors who brought it from Asia to Europe developed black
spots on their skin
Pandemics the global outbreak of a disease
incite fear and panic wherever theyre recorded.
These are some of the deadliest pandemics the
world has seen
The rst case of Spanish Flu which didnt come from Spain
was recorded in Kansas, US, in March 1918. It spread fast
because of troops living in close quarters at the tail end of
World War 1. The pandemic burnt out in 1919
This pandemic is still with us. It was ofcially recognised
as a disease in 1981 and, by 2011 (according to the World
Health Organisation), at least 60 million people had been
infected
Jokes comparing this disease with the SA Revenue Services
soon dried up as fatalities mounted. A severe acute
respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak in southern China in
November 2002 spread to Hong Kong and then on to 37
other countries. By July 2003, it had infected more than
8 000
This u pandemic rst surfaced in Mexico in April 2009
and, according to scientists, appeared to be a new strain of
the H1N1 inuenza virus an assortment of bird, swine and
human u viruses combined with a Eurasian pig u virus.
In May 2010 the World Health Organisation declared that
swine u was in the post-pandemic period
The Spanish Flu (1918)
HIV/Aids (1981-present)
Sars (2002-2003)
Swine u (2009-2010)
Graphics24
Sources: World Health Organisation and the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Wikipedia
775
June 2003
75 - 200m
25m
2011
Up to 50m
1919
18 000
May 2010
Total people killed
Date of estimation
Fleas
carried on
rodents
and
marmots
Differing
opinions:
Poultry and
swine, or other
mammalian
hosts.
Original carriers
African
green
monkey,
sooty
mangabey,
chimpanzee
Original carriers
Not certain:
Small mammals
Original carriers
Swine and
poultry
Original carriers
Original carriers