Table 3 Comparison of estimated death tolls of pandemics (the numbers may vary from site to site).
From: Cross-species virus transmission and its pandemic potential
Pandemic | Year | Death count | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Antonine Plague | 165 AD | 5 million | The cause is yet unknown although it is thought to have been measles or smallpox |
The Black death | 1346–1353 | 75–200 million | Lead to mass deaths and devastation across three continents. Causative agent: Yersinapestis |
Third Cholera pandemic | 1852–1860 | 1 million | Considered to be the most deadliest of all the cholera pandemics; Originated in India |
“Russian flu” | 1889–1890 | 1 million | Causative agent: Influenza A virus subtype H3N8 |
Sixth Cholera pandemic | 1910–1911 | 800,000 + | – |
“Spanish flu” | 1918 | 20–50 million | Affected young and healthy individuals; infected over a third of the world’s population |
“Asian flu” | 1956–1958 | 2 million | – |
SARS | 2002–2003 | 774 | – |
MERS | 2012 | 912 | – |
COVID-19 | 2019–2020 | 324,000 + | As of 20th May 2020 |