This is a list of the largest known epidemics and pandemics caused by an infectious disease. Widespread non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer are not included. An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.
Due to the large time spans, the first plague pandemic (6th century–8th century) and the second plague pandemic (14th century–early 19th century) are shown by individual outbreaks, such as the Plague of Justinian (first pandemic) and the Black Death (second pandemic). On the other hand, tuberculosis (TB) became epidemic in Europe in the 18th and 19th century, showing a seasonal pattern, and is still taking place globally. The morbidity and mortality of TB and HIV/AIDS have been closely linked, known as “TB/HIV syndemic”. However, due to lack of sources which describe major TB epidemics with definite time spans and death tolls, they are currently not included in the following lists.
Top epidemics by death toll
Events in boldface are ongoing. For a given epidemic, the average of its estimated death toll range is used for ranking. If the death toll averages of two or more epidemics equal, then the smaller the range, the higher the rank. For the historical records of world population, see Estimates of historical world population.
| Rank | Epidemics/pandemics | Death toll | Global population lost | Regional population lost | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Death | 75–200 million | 30–60% of European population | 1346–1353 | Europe, Asia, and North Africa | |
| 2 | Spanish flu | 17–100 million | 1–5.4% | – | 1918–1920 | Worldwide |
| 3 | Plague of Justinian | 15–100 million | 25–60% of European population | 541–549 | Europe and West Asia | |
| 4 | HIV/AIDS pandemic | 35 million+ (as of 2020) | – | 1981–present | Worldwide | |
| 5 | Third plague pandemic | 12–15 million | – | 1855–1960 | Worldwide | |
| 6 | Cocoliztli Epidemic of 1545–1548 | 5–15 million | 27–80% of Mexican population | 1545–1548 | Mexico | |
| 7 | Antonine Plague | 5–10 million | 3–6% | 25–33% of Roman population | 165–180 (possibly up to 190) | Roman Empire |
| 8 | 1520 Mexico smallpox epidemic | 5–8 million | 23–37% of Mexican population | 1519–1520 | Mexico | |
| 9 | COVID-19 pandemic | 2.55 million+ (as of March 2021) | 0.03% | – | 2019–present | Worldwide |
| 10 | 1918–1922 Russia typhus epidemic | 2–3 million | 0.1–0.16% | 1–1.6% of Russian population | 1918–1922 | Russia |
| 11 | Asian flu | 1–4 million | 0.03–0.1% | – | 1957–1958 | Worldwide |
| Hong Kong flu | 1–4 million | 0.03–0.1% | – | 1968–1969 | Worldwide | |
| 13 | Cocoliztli epidemic of 1576 | 2–2.5 million | 0.4–0.5% | 50% of Mexican population | 1576–1580 | Mexico |
| 14 | 735–737 Japanese smallpox epidemic | 2 million | 1% | 33% of Japanese population | 735–737 | Japan |
| 1772–1773 Persian Plague | 2 million | 0.2–0.3% | 1772–1773 | Persia | ||
| 16 | Naples Plague | 1.25 million | 0.2% | 1656–1658 | Southern Italy | |
| 17 | Third cholera pandemic | 1 million+ | 0.08% | – | 1846–1860 | Worldwide |
| 18 | 1629–1631 Italian plague | 1 million | 0.2% | 1629–1631 | Italy | |
| 1889–1890 flu pandemic | 1 million | 0.07% | – | 1889–1890 | Worldwide |
Chronology
Events in boldface are ongoing.
| Event | Date | Location | Disease | Death toll (estimate) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 BC Babylon influenza epidemic | 1200 BC | Babylon, or Babirus of the Persians, Central Asia, Mesopotamia and Southern Asia | Sanskrit scholars found records of a disease resembling the Flu | Unknown | |
| Plague of Athens | 429–426 BC | Greece, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia | Unknown, possibly typhus, typhoid fever or viral hemorrhagic fever | 75,000–100,000 | |
| 412 BC epidemic | 412 BC | Greece (Northern Greece, Roman Republic) | Unknown, possibly influenza | Unknown | |
| Antonine Plague | 165–180 (possibly up to 190) | Roman Empire | Unknown, possibly smallpox | 5–10 million | |
| Jian’an Plague | 217 | Han Dynasty | Unknown, possibly typhoid fever or viral hemorrhagic fever | Unknown | |
| Plague of Cyprian | 250–266 | Europe | Unknown, possibly smallpox | Unknown | |
| Plague of Justinian (beginning of First plague pandemic) | 541–549 | Europe and West Asia | Bubonic plague | 15–100 million (25–60% of population of Europe) | |
| Roman Plague of 590 (part of First plague pandemic) | 590 | Rome, Byzantine Empire | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| Plague of Sheroe (part of First plague pandemic) | 627–628 | Bilad al-Sham | Bubonic plague | 25,000+ | |
| Plague of Amwas (part of First plague pandemic) | 638–639 | Byzantine Empire, West Asia, Africa | Bubonic plague | 25,000+ | |
| Plague of 664 (part of First plague pandemic) | 664–689 | British Isles | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| Plague of 698–701 (part of First plague pandemic) | 698–701 | Byzantine Empire, West Asia, Syria, Mesopotamia | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 735–737 Japanese smallpox epidemic | 735–737 | Japan | Smallpox | 2 million (approx. 1⁄3 of Japanese population) | |
| Plague of 746–747 (part of First plague pandemic) | 746–747 | Byzantine Empire, West Asia, Africa | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| Black Death (start of the Second plague pandemic) | 1346–1353 | Europe, Asia and North Africa | Bubonic plague
Yersinia pestis bacterium |
75–200 million (30–60% of European population) | |
| Sweating sickness (multiple outbreaks) | 1485–1551 | Britain (England) and later continental Europe | Unknown, possibly an unknown species of hantavirus | 10,000+ | |
| 1489 Spain typhus epidemic | 1489 | Spain | Typhus | 17,000 | |
| 1510 influenza pandemic | 1510 | Asia, North Africa, Europe | Influenza | Unknown, around 1% of those infected | |
| 1520 Mexico smallpox epidemic | 1519–1520 | Mexico | Smallpox | 5–8 million (40% of population) | |
| Cocoliztli Epidemic of 1545–1548 | 1545–1548 | Mexico | Possibly Salmonella enterica | 5–15 million (80% of population) | |
| 1557 influenza pandemic | 1557–1559 | Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas | Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1561 Chile smallpox epidemic | 1561–1562 | Chile | Smallpox | Unknown (20–25% of native population) | |
| 1563 London plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1563–1564 | London, England | Bubonic plague | 20,100+ | |
| Cocoliztli epidemic of 1576 | 1576–1580 | Mexico | Possibly Salmonella enterica | 2–2.5 million (50% of population) | |
| 1582 Tenerife plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1582–1583 | Tenerife, Spain | Bubonic plague | 5,000–9,000 | |
| 1592–1596 Seneca nation measles epidemic | 1592–1596 | Seneca nation, North America | Measles | Unknown | |
| 1592–93 Malta plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1592–1593 | Malta | Bubonic plague | 3,000 | |
| 1592–93 London plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1592–1593 | London, England | Bubonic plague | 19,900+ | |
| 1596–1602 Spain plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1596–1602 | Spain | Bubonic plague | 600,000–700,000 | |
| 1600–1650 South America malaria epidemic | 1600–1650 | South America | Malaria | Unknown | |
| 1603 London plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1603 | London, England | Bubonic plague | 40,000 | |
| 1616 New England infections epidemic | 1616–1620 | Southern New England, British North America, especially the Wampanoag people | Unknown, possibly leptospirosis with Weil syndrome. Classic explanations include yellow fever, bubonic plague, influenza, smallpox, chickenpox, typhus, and syndemic infection of hepatitis B and hepatitis D | Unknown (estimated 30–90% of population) | |
| 1629–1631 Italian plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1629–1631 | Italy | Bubonic plague | 1 million | |
| 1632–1635 Augsburg plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1632–1635 | Augsburg, Germany | Bubonic plague | 13,712 | |
| Massachusetts smallpox epidemic | 1633–1634 | Massachusetts Bay Colony, Thirteen Colonies | Smallpox | 1,000 | |
| 1634–1640 Wyandot people epidemic of infections | 1634–1640 | Wyandot people, North America | Smallpox and Influenza | 15,000–25,000 | |
| 1637 London plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1636–1637 | London and Westminster, England | Bubonic plague | 10,400 | |
| Great Plague in late Ming Dynasty (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1633–1644 | China | Bubonic plague | 200,000+ | |
| Great Plague of Seville (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1647–1652 | Spain | Bubonic plague | 500,000 | |
| 1648 Central America yellow fever epidemic | 1648 | Central America | Yellow fever | Unknown | |
| Naples Plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1656–1658 | Italy | Bubonic plague | 1,250,000 | |
| 1663–1664 Amsterdam plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1663–1664 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Bubonic plague | 24,148 | |
| Great Plague of London (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1665–1666 | England | Bubonic plague | 100,000 | |
| 1668 France plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1668 | France | Bubonic plague | 40,000 | |
| 1675–76 Malta plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1675–1676 | Malta | Bubonic plague | 11,300 | |
| 1676–1685 Spain plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1676–1685 | Spain | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 1677–1678 Boston smallpox epidemic | 1677–1678 | Massachusetts Bay Colony, British North America | Smallpox | 750–1000 | |
| Great Plague of Vienna (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1679 | Vienna, Austria | Bubonic plague | 76,000 | |
| 1681 Prague plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1681 | Prague, Czech Kingdom | Bubonic plague | 83,000 | |
| 1687 South Africa Influenza outbreak | 1687 | South Africa | Unknown, possibly Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1693 Boston yellow fever epidemic | 1693 | Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British North America | Yellow fever | 3,100+ | |
| 1699 Charleston and Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic | 1699 | Charleston and Philadelphia, British North America | Yellow fever | 520 (300 in Charleston, 220 in Philadelphia) | |
| 1702 New York City yellow fever epidemic | 1702 | New York City, British North America | Yellow fever | 500 | |
| 1702–1703 St. Lawrence Valley smallpox epidemic | 1702–1703 | New France, Canada | Smallpox | 1,300 | |
| 1707–1709 Iceland smallpox epidemic | 1707–1709 | Iceland | Smallpox | 18,000+ (36% of population) | |
| Great Northern War plague outbreak (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1710–1712 | Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania | Bubonic plague | 164,000 | |
| 1713–1715 North America measles epidemic | 1713–1715 | Thirteen Colonies and New France, Canada | Measles | Unknown | |
| Great Plague of Marseille (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1720–1722 | France | Bubonic plague | 100,000+ | |
| 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak | 1721–1722 | Massachusetts Bay Colony | Smallpox | 844 | |
| 1730 Cádiz yellow fever epidemic | 1730 | Cádiz, Spain | Yellow fever | 2,200 | |
| 1732–1733 Thirteen Colonies influenza epidemic | 1732–1733 | Thirteen Colonies | Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1733 New France smallpox epidemic | 1733 | New France, Canada | Smallpox | Unknown | |
| 1735–1741 Diphtheria epidemic | 1735–1741 | New England, Province of New York, Province of New Jersey, British North America | Diphtheria | 20,000 | |
| Great Plague of 1738 (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1738 | Balkans | Bubonic plague | 50,000 | |
| 1738–1739 North Carolina smallpox epidemic | 1738–1739 | Province of Carolina, Thirteen Colonies | Smallpox | 7,700–11,700 | |
| 1741 Cartagena yellow fever epidemic | 1741 | Cartagena, Colombia | Yellow fever | 20,000 | |
| 1743 Sicily plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1743 | Messina, Sicily, Italy | Bubonic plague | 40,000–50,000 | |
| 1759 North America measles outbreak | 1759 | North America | Measles | Unknown | |
| 1760 Charleston smallpox epidemic | 1760 | Charleston, British North America | Smallpox | 730–940 | |
| 1762 Havana yellow fever epidemic | 1762 | Havana, Cuba | Yellow fever | 8,000 | |
| 1763 Pittsburgh area smallpox outbreak | 1763 | North America, present-day Pittsburgh area | Smallpox | Unknown | |
| Russian plague of 1770–1772 (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1770–1772 | Russia | Bubonic plague | 50,000 | |
| 1772 North America measles epidemic | 1772 | North America | Measles | 1,080 | |
| 1772–1773 Persian Plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1772–1773 | Persia | Bubonic plague | 2 million | |
| 1775–1776 England influenza outbreak | 1775–1776 | England | Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1775–1782 North American smallpox epidemic | 1775–1782 | Native populations in what is now the Pacific Northwest of the United States | Smallpox | 11,000+ | |
| 1778 Spain dengue fever outbreak | 1778 | Spain | Dengue fever | Unknown | |
| 1788 Pueblo Indians smallpox epidemic | 1788 | Pueblo Indians in northern New Spain (what is now the Southwestern United States) | Smallpox | Unknown | |
| 1789–1790 New South Wales smallpox epidemic | 1789–1790 | New South Wales, Australia | Smallpox | Unknown (50–70% of native population) | |
| 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic | 1793 | Philadelphia, United States | Yellow fever | 5,000+ | |
| 1800–1803 Spain yellow fever epidemic | 1800–1803 | Spain | Yellow fever | 60,000+ | |
| 1801 Ottoman Empire and Egypt bubonic plague epidemic | 1801 | Ottoman Empire, Egypt | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 1802–1803 Saint-Domingue yellow fever epidemic | 1802–1803 | Saint-Domingue | Yellow fever | 29,000–55,000 | |
| 1812 Russia Typhus epidemic | 1812 | Russia | Typhus | 300,000 | |
| 1812–19 Ottoman plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1812–1819 | Ottoman Empire | Bubonic plague | 300,000+ | |
| 1813–14 Malta plague epidemic (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1813–1814 | Malta | Bubonic plague | 4,500 | |
| Caragea’s plague (part of the Second plague pandemic) | 1813 | Romania | Bubonic plague | 60,000 | |
| 1817–1819 Ireland typhus epidemic | 1817–1819 | Ireland | Typhus | 65,000 | |
| First cholera pandemic | 1817–1824 | Asia, Europe | Cholera | 100,000+ | |
| 1820 Savannah yellow fever epidemic | 1820 | Savannah, Georgia, United States | Yellow fever | 700 | |
| 1821 Barcelona yellow fever epidemic | 1821 | Barcelona, Spain | Yellow fever | 5,000–20,000 | |
| Second cholera pandemic | 1826–1837 | Asia, Europe, North America | Cholera | 100,000+ | |
| 1828–1829 New South Wales smallpox epidemic | 1828–1829 | New South Wales, Australia | Smallpox | 19,000 | |
| Groningen epidemic | 1829 | Netherlands | Malaria | 2,800 | |
| 1829–1833 Pacific Northwest malaria epidemic | 1829–1833 | Pacific Northwest, United States | Malaria, possibly other diseases too | 150,000 | |
| 1829–1835 Iran plague outbreak | 1829–1835 | Iran | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 1834–1836 Egypt plague epidemic | 1834–1836 | Egypt | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 1837 Great Plains smallpox epidemic | 1837–1838 | Great Plains, United States and Canada | Smallpox | 17,000+ | |
| 1841 Southern United States yellow fever epidemic | 1841 | Southern United States (especially Louisiana and Florida) | Yellow fever | 3,498 | |
| 1847 North American typhus epidemic | 1847–1848 | Canada | Typhus | 20,000+ | |
| 1847 Southern United States yellow fever epidemic | 1847 | Southern United States (especially New Orleans) | Yellow fever | 3,400 | |
| 1847–1848 influenza epidemic | 1847–1848 | Worldwide | Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1848–1849 Hawaii epidemic of infections | 1848–1849 | Hawaiian Kingdom | Measles, whooping cough, dysentery and influenza | 10,000 | |
| 1853 New Orleans yellow fever epidemic | 1853 | New Orleans, United States | Yellow fever | 7,970 | |
| Third cholera pandemic | 1846–1860 | Worldwide | Cholera | 1 million+ | |
| 1853 Ottoman Empire plague epidemic | 1853 | Ottoman Empire | Bubonic plague | Unknown | |
| 1853 Copenhagen cholera outbreak | 1853 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Cholera | 4,737 | |
| 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak | 1854 | London, England | Cholera | 616 | |
| 1855 Norfolk yellow fever epidemic | 1855 | Norfolk and Portsmouth, England | Yellow fever | 3,000 (2,000 in Norfolk, 1,000 in Portsmouth) | |
| Third plague pandemic | 1855–1960 | Worldwide | Bubonic plague | 12–15 million (India and China) | |
| 1857 Lisbon yellow fever epidemic | 1857 | Lisbon, Portugal | Yellow fever | 6,000 | |
| 1857 Victoria smallpox epidemic | 1857 | Victoria, Australia | Smallpox | Unknown | |
| 1857–1859 Europe and the Americas influenza epidemic | 1857–1859 | Europe, North America, South America | Influenza | Unknown | |
| 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic | 1862–1863 | Pacific Northwest, Canada and United States | Smallpox | 20,000+ | |
| 1861–1865 United States typhoid fever epidemic | 1861–1865 | United States | Typhoid fever | 80,000 | |
| Fourth cholera pandemic | 1863–1875 | Middle East | Cholera | 600,000 | |
| 1867 Sydney measles epidemic | 1867 | Sydney, Australia | Measles | 748 | |
| 1871 Buenos Aires yellow fever epidemic | 1871 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Yellow fever | 13,500–26,200 | |
| 1870–1875 Europe smallpox epidemic | 1870–1875 | Europe | Smallpox | 500,000 | |
| 1875 Fiji measles outbreak | 1875 | Fiji | Measles | 40,000 | |
| 1875–1876 Australia scarlet fever epidemic | 1875–1876 | Australia | Scarlet fever | 8,000 | |
| 1876 Ottoman Empire plague epidemic | 1876 | Ottoman Empire | Bubonic plague | 20,000 | |
| 1878 New Orleans yellow fever epidemic | 1878 | New Orleans, United States | Yellow fever | 4,046 | |
| 1878 Mississippi Valley yellow fever epidemic | 1878 | Mississippi Valley, United States | Yellow fever | 13,000 | |
| Fifth cholera pandemic | 1881–1896 | Asia, Africa, Europe, South America | Cholera | 298,600 | |
| 1885 Montreal smallpox epidemic | 1885 | Montreal, Canada | Smallpox | 3,164 | |
| 1889–1890 flu pandemic | 1889–1890 | Worldwide | Influenza or Human coronavirus OC43 / HCoV-OC43 (disputed) | 1 million | |
| 1894 Hong Kong plague (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1894–1929 | Hong Kong | Bubonic plague | 20,000+ | |
| Bombay plague epidemic (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1896–1905 | Bombay, India | Bubonic plague | 20,788 | |
| 1896–1906 Congo Basin African trypanosomiasis epidemic | 1896–1906 | Congo Basin | African trypanosomiasis | 500,000 | |
| 1899 Porto plague outbreak (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1899 | Porto, Portugal | Bubonic plague | 132 | |
| Sixth cholera pandemic | 1899–1923 | Europe, Asia, Africa | Cholera | 800,000+ | |
| San Francisco plague of 1900–1904 (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1900–1904 | San Francisco, United States | Bubonic plague | 119 | |
| 1900 Sydney bubonic plague epidemic (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1900 | Australia | Bubonic plague | 103 | |
| 1900–1920 Uganda African trypanosomiasis epidemic | 1900–1920 | Uganda | African trypanosomiasis | 200,000–300,000 | |
| Papua New Guinea kuru epidemic | 1901–2009 | Papua New Guinea | Kuru | 2,700–3,000+ | |
| 1903 India plague epidemic (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1903 | India | Bubonic plague | 22 | |
| 1903 Fremantle plague epidemic (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1903 | Fremantle, Western Australia | Bubonic plague | 4 | |
| 1906 malaria outbreak in Ceylon | 1906–1936 | Ceylon | Malaria | 80,000 | |
| Manchurian plague (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1910–1911 | China | Pneumonic plague | 60,000 | |
| 1910 China plague (part of the Third plague pandemic) | 1910–1912 | China | Bubonic plague | 40,000 | |
| 1915 Encephalitis lethargica pandemic | 1915–1926 | Worldwide | Encephalitis lethargica | 500,000 | |
| 1916 United States polio epidemic | 1916 | United States | Poliomyelitis | 7,130 | |
| 1918 influenza pandemic (‘Spanish flu’) | 1918–1920 | Worldwide | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1
H1N1 virus |
17–100 million | |
| 1918–1922 Russia typhus epidemic | 1918–1922 | Russia | Typhus | 2–3 million | |
| 1924 Los Angeles pneumonic plague outbreak | 1924 | Los Angeles, United States | Pneumonic plague | 30 | |
| 1924–1925 Minnesota smallpox epidemic | 1924–1925 | Minnesota, United States | Smallpox | 500 | |
| 1927 Montreal typhoid fever epidemic | 1927 | Montreal, Canada | Typhoid fever | 538 | |
| 1929–1930 Psittacosis Pandemic | 1929–1930 | Worldwide | Psittacosis | 100+ | |
| Croydon typhoid outbreak of 1937 | 1937 | Croydon, United Kingdom | Typhoid fever | 43 | |
| 1937 Australia polio epidemic | 1937 | Australia | Poliomyelitis | Unknown | |
| 1940 Sudan yellow fever epidemic | 1940 | Sudan | Yellow fever | 1,627 | |
| 1942–1944 Egypt malaria epidemic | 1942–1944 | Egypt | Malaria | Unknown | |
| 1946 Egypt relapsing fever epidemic | 1946 | Egypt | Relapsing fever | Unknown | |
| 1947 Egypt cholera epidemic | 1947 | Egypt | Cholera | 10,277 | |
| 1948–1952 United States polio epidemic | 1948–1952 | United States | Poliomyelitis | 9,000 | |
| 1957–1958 influenza pandemic (‘Asian flu’) | 1957–1958 | Worldwide | Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 | 1–4 million | |
| 1960–1962 Ethiopia yellow fever epidemic | 1960–1962 | Ethiopia | Yellow fever | 30,000 | |
| Seventh cholera pandemic | 1961–1975 | Worldwide | Cholera (El Tor strain) | Unknown | |
| Hong Kong flu | 1968–1970 | Worldwide | Influenza A virus subtype H3N2
H3N2 virus |
1–4 million | |
| 1971 Staphorst polio epidemic | 1971 | Staphorst, Netherlands | Poliomyelitis | 5 | |
| 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak | 1972 | Yugoslavia | Smallpox | 35 | |
| London flu | 1972–1973 | United States | Influenza A virus subtype H3N2 | 1,027 | |
| 1973 Italy Cholera El Tor epidemic | 1973 | Italy | Cholera (El Tor strain) | 24 | |
| 1974 smallpox epidemic of India | 1974 | India | Smallpox | 15,000 | |
| 1977 Russian flu | 1977–1979 | Worldwide | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 | 700,000 | |
| Sverdlovsk anthrax leak | 1979 | Russia | Anthrax | 105 | |
| HIV/AIDS pandemic | 1981–present | Worldwide | HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus |
35 million+ (as of 2020) | |
| 1984 Western Sahara plague | 1984 | Western Sahara | Bubonic plague | 64 | |
| 1986 Oju yellow fever epidemic | 1986 | Oju, Nigeria | Yellow fever | 5,600+ | |
| 1987 Mali yellow fever epidemic | 1987 | Mali | Yellow fever | 145 | |
| 1991 Bangladesh cholera epidemic | 1991 | Bangladesh | Cholera | 8,410–9,432 | |
| 1991 Latin America cholera epidemic | 1991–1993 | Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala | Cholera | 8,000 | |
| 1994 plague in India | 1994 | India | Bubonic plague and Pneumonic plague | 56 | |
| United Kingdom BSE outbreak | 1996–2001 | United Kingdom | Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease / vCJD | 178 | |
| 1996 West Africa meningitus epidemic | 1996 | West Africa | Meningitis | 10,000 | |
| 1998–99 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak | 1998–1999 | Malaysia | Nipah virus infection | 105 | |
| 2000 Central America dengue epidemic | 2000 | Central America | Dengue fever | 40+ | |
| 2001 Nigeria cholera epidemic | 2001 | Nigeria | Cholera | 400+ | |
| 2001 South Africa cholera epidemic | 2001 | South Africa | Cholera | 139 | |
| 2002–04 SARS outbreak | 2002–2004 | Worldwide | Severe acute respiratory syndrome / SARS | 774 | |
| 2003 Algeria plague outbreak | 2003 | Algeria | Bubonic plague | 1 (18 cases) | |
| 2003–2019 Asia and Egypt Avian influenza epidemic | 2003–2019 | Southeast Asia and Egypt | Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 | 455 | |
| 2004 Afghanistan leishmaniasis epidemic | 2004 | Afghanistan | Leishmaniasis | 0 (3,958 cases) | |
| 2004 Indonesia dengue epidemic | 2004 | Indonesia | Dengue fever | 658 | |
| 2004 Sudan ebola outbreak | 2004 | Sudan | Ebola | 7 | |
| 2005 dengue outbreak in Singapore | 2005 | Singapore | Dengue fever | 27 | |
| 2006 Luanda cholera epidemic | 2006 | Luanda, Angola | Cholera | 1,200+ | |
| 2006 Ituri Province plague epidemic | 2006 | Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Bubonic plague | 61 | |
| 2006 India malaria outbreak | 2006 | India | Malaria | 17 | |
| 2006 dengue outbreak in India | 2006 | India | Dengue fever | 50+ | |
| 2006 dengue outbreak in Pakistan | 2006 | Pakistan | Dengue fever | 50+ | |
| 2006 Philippines dengue epidemic | 2006 | Philippines | Dengue fever | 1,000 | |
| 2006–07 East Africa Rift Valley fever outbreak | 2006–2007 | East Africa | Rift Valley fever | 394 | |
| Mweka ebola epidemic | 2007 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Ebola | 187 | |
| 2007 Ethiopia cholera epidemic | 2007 | Ethiopia | Cholera | 684 | |
| 2007 Iraq cholera outbreak | 2007 | Iraq | Cholera | 10 | |
| 2007 Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Mexico dengue fever epidemic | 2007 | Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico | Dengue fever | 183 | |
| 2007 Uganda ebola outbreak | 2007 | Uganda | Ebola | 37 | |
| 2007 Netherlands Q-fever epidemic | 2007–2018 | Netherlands | Q-fever | 95 | |
| 2008 Brazil dengue epidemic | 2008 | Brazil | Dengue fever | 67 | |
| 2008 Cambodia dengue epidemic | 2008 | Cambodia | Dengue fever | 407 | |
| 2008 Chad cholera epidemic | 2008 | Chad | Cholera | 123 | |
| 2008–2017 China hand, foot, and mouth disease epidemic | 2008–2017 | China | Hand, foot, and mouth disease | 3,322+ | |
| 2008 India cholera epidemic | 2008 | India | Cholera | 115 | |
| 2008 Madagascar plague outbreak | 2008 | Madagascar | Bubonic plague | 18+ | |
| 2008 Philippines dengue epidemic | 2008 | Philippines | Dengue fever | 172 | |
| 2008–09 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak | 2008–2009 | Zimbabwe | Cholera | 4,293 | |
| 2009 Bolivian dengue fever epidemic | 2009 | Bolivia | Dengue fever | 18 | |
| 2009 Gujarat hepatitis outbreak | 2009 | India | Hepatitis B | 49 | |
| Queensland 2009 dengue outbreak | 2009 | Queensland, Australia | Dengue fever | 1+ (503 cases) | |
| Mumps outbreaks in the 2000s | 2009 | Worldwide | Mumps | Unknown | |
| 2009–10 West African meningitis outbreak | 2009–2010 | West Africa | Meningitis | 1,100 | |
| 2009 swine flu pandemic | 2009–2010 | Worldwide | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 | Lab confirmed deaths: 18,449 (reported to the WHO)Estimated death toll: 284,000 (possible range 151,700-575,400) | |
| 2010s Haiti cholera outbreak | 2010–2019 | Haiti | Cholera (strain serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa) | 10,075 | |
| 2010–2014 Democratic Republic of the Congo measles outbreak | 2010–2014 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Measles | 4,500+ | |
| 2011 Vietnam hand, foot and mouth disease epidemic | 2011 | Vietnam | Hand, foot and mouth disease | 170 | |
| 2011 dengue outbreak in Pakistan | 2011 | Pakistan | Dengue fever | 350+ | |
| 2012 yellow fever outbreak in Darfur, Sudan | 2012 | Darfur, Sudan | Yellow fever | 171 | |
| 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak | 2012–present | Worldwide | Middle East respiratory syndrome / MERS-CoV | 936 (as of 1 February 2021) | |
| 2013 dengue outbreak in Singapore | 2013 | Singapore | Dengue fever | 8 | |
| 2013 Vietnam measles outbreak | 2013–2014 | Vietnam | Measles | 142 | |
| Western African Ebola virus epidemic | 2013–2016 | Worldwide, primarily concentrated in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone | Ebola
Ebola virus virion |
11,323+ | |
| 2013–14 chikungunya outbreak | 2013–2015 | Americas | Chikungunya | 183 | |
| 2013–19 Avian influenza epidemic | 2013–2019 | China | Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 | 616 | |
| 2014 Madagascar plague outbreak | 2014–2017 | Madagascar | Bubonic plague | 292 | |
| 2014 Odisha jaundice outbreak | 2014–2015 | India | Primarily Hepatitis E, but also Hepatitis A | 36 | |
| 2015 Indian swine flu outbreak | 2015 | India | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 | 2,035 | |
| 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic | 2015–2016 | Worldwide | Zika virus | 53 | |
| 2016 Angola and DR Congo yellow fever outbreak | 2016 | Angola and DR Congo | Yellow fever | 498 (377 in Angola, 121 in Congo) | |
| 2016–2021 Yemen cholera outbreak | 2016–present | Yemen | Cholera | 3,886 (as of 30 November 2019) | |
| 2017 dengue outbreak in Peshawar | 2017 | Peshawar, Pakistan | Dengue fever | 69 | |
| 2017 Gorakhpur Japanese encephalitis outbreak | 2017 | India | Japanese encephalitis | 1,317 | |
| 2017 dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka | 2017 | Sri Lanka | Dengue fever | 440 | |
| 2017–18 United States flu season | 2017–2018 | United States | Seasonal influenza | 61,000 (46,000–95,000) | |
| 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala | 2018 | India | Nipah virus infection | 17 | |
| Kivu Ebola epidemic | 2018–2020 | Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda | Ebola | 2,280 | |
| 2018 NDM-CRE outbreak in Italy | 2018–present | Italy | New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae | 31 (as of September 2019) | |
| 2019 measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2019–2020 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Measles | 7,018+ | |
| 2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak | 2019–2020 | New Zealand | Measles | 2 | |
| 2019 Philippines measles outbreak | 2019 | Philippines | Measles | 415 | |
| 2019 Kuala Koh measles outbreak | 2019 | Kuala Koh, Malaysia | Measles | 15 | |
| 2019 Samoa measles outbreak | 2019–present | Samoa | Measles | 83 | |
| 2019–20 dengue fever epidemic | 2019–present | Asia-Pacific, Latin America | Dengue fever | 3,930 | |
| COVID-19 pandemic | 2019–present | Worldwide | Coronavirus disease 2019 / COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 virus |
2.5 million+ (as of March 2021) | |
| 2019 Nigeria lassa fever epidemic | 2019–present | Nigeria | Lassa fever | 246 (as of January 2021) | |
| 2020 Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola outbreak | 2020 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Ebola | 55 | |
| 2020 novel bunyavirus outbreak | 2020–present | China | Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome | 7 (as of 5 August 2020) | |
| 2020 Nigeria yellow fever epidemic | 2020–present | Nigeria | Yellow Fever | 296 (as of 31 December 2020) |
