Third plague pandemic

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The third plague pandemic was a major plague pandemic that began in Yunnan, China, in 1855. Its name refers to its status as the third of at least three known major episodes of bubonic plague. This pandemic caused by the spread of the bacterium Yersinia pestis spread to all inhabited continents, and ultimately led to at least 15 million deaths worldwide, including 10~12 million in British Raj India and 2.2 million in China. It is estimated to have had one of the highest death tolls among pandemics in human history, though the third plague pandemic killed fewer people than the second plague pandemic (and possibly the first). According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic was considered active until 1960, when worldwide casualties dropped below 200 per year. Plague deaths have continued at a lower level ever since, as plague persists in enzootic reservoirs across Asia, Africa, South America, and the western United States.

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