Plagues that decimated civilisations: pandemics as past, current and future threats to humanity

Infectious diseases have always been a part of life on Earth, evolving as microbes adapted to new hosts. Homo sapiens appeared around 300,000 years ago, and the shift to agriculture 10,000 years ago drastically changed disease spread. Permanent settlements and close contact with animals increased the likelihood of diseases jumping from animals to humans.

Infectious diseases are often described as endemic, epidemic, or pandemic. Endemic diseases, like malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, persist in a region. Epidemics are localized outbreaks, such as recent measles cases in Europe. Pandemics, like COVID-19, spread globally, causing widespread disruption and death, significantly shaping history, economies, and societies.