The Black Death And The Plague Outbreak

The black plague, also known as the bubonic plague, swept its way across Europe beginning in 1346 A.D. , killing an estimated thirty to fifty percent of the total population. The plague was spread by fleas infected with Yersinia pestis, and was carried over oceans by hitchhiking rats and pet gerbils. The plague outbreak that decimated the population was transported by infected Christian merchants

The Bubonic Plague killed over twenty-five million people during the Elizabethan Era (David Perlin, PhD and Ann Cohen). “The origins of the Black Death can be traced back to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the 1320’s (Ed. Geoffrey J. et al).” The Bubonic Plague has picked up many nicknames. For example, it has been called “The Black Death,” and “one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse” (Ed. Geoffrey J. et al). The Bubonic Plague was very prominent during its time with many people’s lives being affected by the treatments, preventions, and twisted theories that occurred.

The black death arrived in Europe in October of 1347. It was brought by twelve Genoese trading ships that docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after a lengthy expedition through the Black Sea. The people that were gathered on the docks to meet the twelve ships were greeted with a terrifying surprise: the majority of the sailors that were on they ship were dead, and the ones that were still alive were somberly ill. They had fevers, were unable to hold down food, and were delirious from pain. They were covered with big black boils that oozed pus and blood. The illness was named the “Black Death” because of the black boils.

The Black Death was one of the most devastating worldwide diseases in human history. The plague originated in central Asia and was brought to China by traders and Mongols from 1334-1347. Mongol protection of the trade may have caused the disease to spread along the “Silk Road” to Crimea. During a Mongol siege against Caffa in 1347, the Mongolian army began to die. The Mongols catapulted the dead bodies into the city where the fleas on the corpses were released into Caffa. In the year 1347, October, Genoese traders escaped from the city and sailed to Messina, an Italian port, unaware that they were infected by the disease. Eventually, everyone on the ship died and a “ghost ship” made it to port. Seeing no activity on board, the ship was

End of a Paradigm, Samuel K. Cohn Jr. argues that the Black Death of 14th century Europe was not the same illness as the bubonic plague. To help illustrate his argument, Cohn compared the Black Death of 14th century Europe to the agent of the bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, which was discovered in Hong Kong

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic plague, was a serious pandemic that killed more than one-third of Europe’s population. Between 1347-1352, the Black Death had “reportedly killed more than 20 million people.” The plague originated from Asia before traveling throughout Europe and the Mediterranean by fleas infested rats transported through ships. The infested ships had then landed in European ports such as the following: “Genoa, Venice, Messina, and other more.” Thus, the starting the pandemic by the spreading of the highly contagious bacterial infection disease around Europe along with their imports and exports.

The black death, also known as the bubonic plague, swept across Europe in the 14th century. During its time the plague claimed an estimated seventy five million lives. The plague though not longer existant, made a large impact as it was spread rapidly through the population. The plague first arrived in Europe in 1347.

The Black Death was a plague that overwhelmed Europe at the beginning of the 1350's. During the time of the plague, nearly half of Europe's population was killed by the Black Death. Many people believe that it was brought to Europe via the trade routes to and from Asia. As soon as it arrived, the Bubonic Plague spread vigorously, claiming the lives of all ages. The insufficient knowledge of the plague, the lack of help from people, and the extinguished hope people felt during the period helped lead to the devastation of European society.

In a time of political failure, economic disintegration, and constant religious disagreement, Europe was already entering the Dark Ages. Then, in the 14th century, the Black Death struck. A disease transmitted through infected flea carrying rats, the Bubonic Plague was devastating to European society not only because it was highly contagious and very lethal, but also because it had unknown origins.

The Black Death swept through Asia, Europe and Africa during the 14th Century, killing between 50 to 90 percent of those who contracted it. The effect of the disease had significant consequence for Europe in particular. Trade and commerce virtually stopped. This caused a rapid rise in the prices of goods. Some people believed they were being punished by God and sought forgiveness; others looked for someone to blame.

Do you know what The Black Plague was, it was a horrible disease that people back in the middle ages didn’t know where it came from how to fight off against it and how it spread. People back then didn’t know where it came from but scientists now think they know. Scientists think that Black Rats and fleas caused the black plague that the fleas carried it and gave it to the rats then the rats passed it along then the rats died and the fleas moved to a new host they moved to humans and spread it even further.(A&E, The Black Death)The rats that infected the humans lived in a city called Kaffa and then went on ships with people and moved to other places like Italy, Constantinople and England. When the rats died the fleas went to humans and the rat’s dead bodies would give an animal and or human the virus without the flea having to bite anyone. (Stephen Person pg.4)The fleas probably feed on the rats blood and gave the rat the infection the rat then died and the fleas moved on to a new rat when there were no more living rats they probably went on to humans

The pandemic known to history as the Black Death was one of the world’s worst natural disasters in history. It was a critical time for many as the plague hit Europe and “devastated the Western world from 1347 to 1351, killing 25%-50% of Europe’s population and causing or accelerating marked political, economic, social, and cultural changes.” The plague made an unforgettable impact on the history of the West. It is believed to have originated somewhere in the steppes of central Asia in the 1330s and then spread westwards along the caravan routes. It spread over Europe like a wildfire and left a devastating mark wherever it passed. In its first few weeks in Europe, it killed between 100 and 200 people per day. Furthermore, as the weather became colder, the plague worsened, escalating the mortality rate to as high as 750 deaths per day. By the spring of 1348, the death toll may have reached 1000 a day. One of the main reasons the plague spread so quickly and had such a devastating effect on Europe was ultimately due to the lack of medical knowledge during the medieval time period.

The Black Death all started due to the trading and export and importing that was taking place in the 1330’s. It started with Europe trading with the East moving along through Asia through Central Asia then through Turkestan. In 1347 a small general store- trading post was an attack building by the Tartar Army. As the Tartars were being killed the dead bodies were being put into building walls all over the city.

The black death was one of the deadliest plagues there's been, in the mid 14th century the plague spread around the world traveling from china to Europe, this plague was responsible for the death of more than one-third of the population of Europe and the middle east. At this time there were a lot of Christians and Muslims at this time and places it affected both very badly but they reacted to the plague very differently.The black death had a lot of names some include ‘The Great Pestilence’, the great plague and the black death.in five short years this plague killed between 25 and 45 percent of population it encountered including children and women .Historians believe that the black death was caused by bacterial strains and this strains came from the stomach and certain fleas of rotten but more specifically the black rat. The black death was a combination of 3 plagues Bubonic,Pneumonic and septicemic one deadlier than the other one.

During August, a plague outbreak took place in madagascar infecting over a thousand people and killing over one hundred. Statistically around sixty-seven percent were a pneumonic form of the disease, which has the capability of spreading from one to another. Another major account of a plague was the infamous Bubonic plague, which was brought forth by rats, then later spread from a mosquito bite. The plague’s symptoms mainly consist of swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, and coughing. The plague is transmitted by a cough, sneeze, or just by breathing in the contaminated air. The person is at risk of death mostly from 12 to 24 hours.