Cocoliztli Epidemic

The cocoliztli epidemic was created from a form of viral hemorrhagic fever. In Mexico and Central America alone, over 15 million people perished from the virus. The area had already suffered from immense drought, and now it seemed that the worst was still to come. The name of the plague, Cocoliztli, comes from the Aztec word meaning "pest." The outcome was a catastrophe.