5. The Cocoliztli epidemic
Death toll: 17 million
Year: 1545 – 1576
25 years after the devastating smallpox epidemics, native population in Mexico suffered even worse disaster. The Cocoliztli virus was the name of a hanta-like virus that decimated the population of Yucatan Peninsula and Mexico in the 16th century. Deadly hemorrhagic fever was most likely caused by severe droughts that affected the region, causing a major shift of rats’ population in search for food and water, from which the virus jumped to humans. In two different occurrences, in 1545 and 1576, Cocolitzli virus almost wiped out the native population of Mexico. No wonder it’s on our list of biggest epidemics in human history.
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