Epidemics in United States and Elsewhere

Periodically, throughout history, there epidemics have arisen which have taken a devastating toll on the population.


Year

Epidemic

Location

Multi-Year

1702

Yellow Fever

US -- NY

Yes

1702

Scarlet Fever

US -- Boston

No

1706

Yellow Fever

US -- SC

No

1713

Measles

US -- Boston

No

1721

Smallpox

US -- Boston

No

1723

Influenza

Worldwide

No

1723

Famine

United Kingdom

7 years poor harvests & epidemics

1728

Yellow Feaver

US -- SC

No

1729

Measles

US -- Boston

No

1732

Yellow Fever

US -- SC

No

1732

Influenza

Worldwide

Yes

1735

Diphtheria/Scarlet Fever

US -- New England

4 years

1738

Smallpox

US -- SC

Yes

1739

Measles

US -- Boston

Yes

1743

Yellow Fever

US -- NY

Yes

1747

Measles

US -- CT, NY, PA, SC

No

1759

Measles

US

No

1761

Influenza

US & West Indies

No

1763

Smallpox

US -- Boston

Yes

1772

Measles

US

No

1775

Influenza

Worldwide

Yes

1783

Bilious disorder

US

Fatal

1788

Measles

US -- PA, NY

No

1789

Influenza

US

7 Years

1793

Unknown

US -- PA

No

1793

Influenza

US -- VT, VA

No

1802

Smallpox

US -- NE

No

1803

Yellow Fever

US -- NY

No

1820

"Fever"

US

Yes

1826

Cholera

Worldwide

Through 1837

1826

Dengue Fever

US & West Indies

Yes

1829

Malaria

US

Yes

1831

Cholera

UK then Worldwide

Yes

1831

Cholera

US

Yes

1832

Influenza

US

No

1833

Cholera

US -- OH

No

1834

Cholera

US -- NY

No

1837

Typhus

US -- PA

No

1837

Smallpox

US -- Native Americans

No

1841

Yellow Fever

US

No

1847

Measles

US -- Native Americans

No

1847

Yellow Fever

US -- NO

No

1847

Influenza

Worldwide

Yes

1848

Cholera

Worldwide

Yes

1850

Yellow Fever

US

No

1850

Influenza

US

Yes

1850

Dengue Fever

US

Yes

1851

Cholera

US -- IL

No

1852

Yellow Fever

US -- NO

No

1853

Cholera

UK -- Birmingham

No

1855

Yellow Fever

US

No

1857

Influenza

Worldwide

Yes

1860

Smallpox

US -- PA

Yes

1861

Epidemics -- infectious diseases

US -- Civil War

Yes

1865

Smallpox

US

Yes

1865

Cholera

US

No

1865

Typhus

US

Yes

1868

Smallpox

US

7 years

1873

Influenza

UK, North America, Europe

Yes

1873

Cholera

US

No

1878

Yellow Fever

US -- NO

No

1885

Typhoid

US -- PA

No

1886

Yellow Fever

US -- FL

No

1889

Influenza

Worldwide

Yes

1893

Polio

US

1st known outbreak

1900

Plague

US

Yes

1901

Smallpox

US

Yes

1907

Polio

US

9 years

1917

Influenza

Worldwide -- worst ever

Yes

1931

Polio

US

No

1942

Polio

US

11 years

 

 

 

 

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