The main pandemics in human history never originated in Europe or the Americas. They all originated in Asia (China and India), as well as Africa.
The Black Plague
Originated in the Hubei Province of China in 1340. The city of Wuhan, where the latest epidemic (Coronavirus) started, is located in the same province. The disease was carried by fleas on rats.
Cholera
Originated in 1852 in the Ganges Delta in India. The disease was transmitted through dirty waters.
Spanish Flu
Contrary to popular belief, the disease did not originate in Spain, but in China, in 1918. It was transmitted from birds.
Asian Flu
Originated in China as well in 1956, from wild ducks.
Smallpox
The most recent epidemic was in India in 1974, transmission was airborne.
HIV
Originated in Congo in 1970 from chimpanzees.
SRAS
Another coronavirus that originated in China as well in 2002, from civets.
H5N1
Started in Hong Kong in 2004, and was originally transmitted from birds.
H1N1
Originated in China in 2009 from porks.
Ebola
Most recent epidemic started in West Africa, and transmitted from bats, in 2013.
2019-nCoV (aka latest Coronavirus)
China, in December 2019, from bats.
A common factor among these various pandemics is that it originated in cultures known for their lack of hygiene, squalid living conditions, and consumption of any animal.
