Pandemic

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Over the past fifty years, over three hundred infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged in new locations. Long before COVID-19, ninety percent of epidemiologists anticipated that a deadly pandemic would occur within the next two generations, potentially caused by Ebola, avian flu, a drug-resistant superbug, or an entirely new pathogen. While predicting the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 was impossible, examining the stories of past pandemics can help us understand and prepare for future threats. This exploration weaves together history, original reporting, and personal narrative to investigate the origins of epidemics, drawing parallels between cholera, a historically significant pandemic-causing pathogen, and contemporary diseases. The narrative follows cholera's journey from a harmless microbe in South Asia to its widespread impact in the nineteenth century and its latest outbreak in Haiti. It also highlights other pathogens, such as MRSA, and emerging threats from various global locales. By delving into the complex science, politics, and history surrounding one of the world's deadliest diseases, this work offers vital insights and urgent lessons relevant to our current era.