Education Journalist | Study Abroad Lead
A pandemic disease refers to a disease that spreads across a large area, multiple continents, and even possibly, the whole world. Diseases are termed pandemic only if they are infectious and can be spread from one person to another. Hence, diseases such as cancer are not termed pandemics as though they are found worldwide but are not contagious. In over 200,000 years of the history of mankind, there have been various diseases that have impacted our civilization and wiped us out.
Read More: Pathogens
| Table of Contents |
Key Terms: Spanish Flu, Virus, Pandemic, Immunity, Vaccination, Black Death, Smallpox, Diseases
The Spanish Flu – c.1918 AD
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The Spanish Flu was one of the deadliest pandemics to ever hit humankind. It wiped out over 3 to 5 percent of the entire population of the world.
- The most common theory regarding the cause of the Spanish flu is the H1N1 influenza virus.
- The virus infected over 500 million people all over the world ranging from densely populated countries to remote islands.
- The virus strain was particularly aggressive and killed about 10% to 20% of the infected individuals.
- The average life expectancy all over the world was reduced by about 12 years due to this pandemic.
- The Spanish flu c 1918 AD came to an end by the 1919 summer as the infected people either passed away or they developed immunity.
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| Concepts Related to This Chapter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Difference between epidemic and pandemic | Measles | Rabies |
| Kidney Infection | Urine Infection | Stomach Ulcer |
| Why do we fall ill? | Principles of Treatment | Health and its failure |
Black Death – c.1347 AD
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Black Death was also known as the Bubonic plague. It first spread in the Middle Ages, infecting most of Asia and Europe.
- The plague roughly killed about 75 to 200 million people.
- The cause behind the pandemic is believed to be the Yersinia pestis bacterium that spread through fleas living on rats.
- The rats spread to parts of the world on merchant ships and trade vessels, wreaking havoc in other countries.
- The mortality rates in Europe were estimated to be 40 to 50 percent.
- Apart from being termed fatal, the black death disease often disfigured toes and fingers through necrosis tissue.
Read More: HIV and AIDS
Smallpox – c.10,000 BC
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Smallpox has been around for a long time and has killed millions of people.
- Smallpox is caused by two varieties of viruses - Variola major and Variola minor, of which the latter is the most destructive.
- The earliest records of smallpox have been traced back to the Egyptian mummies about 3000 years old.
- The symptoms of the disease often include fluid-filled blister and fever.
- This eventually resulted in scars all over the body and can even cause blindness.
- The last documented case of the disease occurred in 1977.
The deadliest pandemic diseases affect a large portion of the population. They are caused by various factors. With time due to efficient protective strategies, they slow down and even come to an end. It involves improved personal hygiene and the development of a vaccine. However, some pandemics occur in waves in a way that the spread of another disease may follow the diminished activity of a certain one.
Read More: Viral Diseases
Things to Remember
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- Pandemics are diseases that spread worldwide and can be spread from one person to another.
- They are prevented by good hygiene practices, vaccination, or developed immunity.
- The Spanish Flu in c 1918 AD wiped out over 3 to 5 percent of the entire population of the world.
- Black Death, also known as the Bubonic plague, killed about 75 to 200 million people.
- Smallpox killed millions of people and was caused by two varieties of viruses - Variola major and Variola minor.
Sample Questions
Ques. What is an endemic? (3 marks)
Ans. An Epidemic is defined as the process of the rapid spread of infectious diseases within a short duration of time into a large number of people in a given population. Endemics spread over to several countries or continents.
Some of the common examples of endemics are bubonic plague, SARS, Cholera, Smallpox, etc.
Ques. What is a pandemic? (3 marks)
Ans. A pandemic is the spread of a new disease all over the world. A larger version of an endemic is known as a pandemic. It can also be understood as the situation when an epidemic goes out of control. If an epidemic covers many countries and continents, it is likely to be regarded as a pandemic. There are various types of pandemics. The common examples of pandemics are HIV or AIDS.
Ques. Write the difference between a pandemic and an endemic. (3 marks)
Ans. The differences between epidemic and pandemic are as follows -
| Epidemic | Pandemic |
|---|---|
| An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease affecting a population that spreads rapidly. | The pandemic is a larger version of the epidemic. A pandemic is spread across several countries or continents. |
| An outbreak of a disease is known as an epidemic if it affects people typically within 2 weeks. | In pandemic outbreaks, the number of people affected or killed does not matter much as the rate of spread matters. |
| Example - West African Ebola | Example - HIV AIDS and Asian Influenza |
Ques. Write a note on smallpox. (3 marks)
Ans. Smallpox is a contagious disease caused by the deadly virus known as Variola. It came into existence in 10,000 BC.
- The symptoms of smallpox include high fever followed by chills, vomiting, a severe headache, body pain, and the development of rashes, filled with pus or fluid on the face, hands, legs, arms, etc.
- It was an airborne disease spreading at a fast rate.
- A smallpox vaccine was used to gain immunity against smallpox.
Ques. What is the WHO’s pandemic alert system? (5 marks)
Ans. WHO’s pandemic alert system ranges from Phase 1 to Phase 6 as follows -
- Phase 1: A virus in animals but no known infections in humans.
- Phase 2: An animal virus that has caused infection in humans.
- Phase 3: Scattered cases or small clusters of the disease start occurring in humans.
- Phase 4: The disease is spreading from one person to another with outbreaks at the community level.
- Phase 5: The disease spreads among humans in more than one country in one of the WHO regions.
- Phase 6: At least one more country has community-level outbreaks.
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