Epidemics are outbreaks of disease that affect a large number of people in the same place at the same time. Some epidemics are caused by pollution, or by people’s behaviour. But most epidemics are caused by infectious diseases passed from person to person.
The Black Death probably arrived in Europe from Central Asia by way of Mongol raiders. It first caused epidemics in Italy in 1347, spreading rapidly through the rest of Europe. The doctors did not understand the cause of the disease and they had no idea what to do about it. In just four years, between 1347 and 1351, the Black Death killed one-fifth of all the people in Europe.
How the plague spread
The disease was spread by the bite of fleas from infected rats, but because its cause was not understood, the
infection raged unchecked. This flea lived on black rats, which came to Europe on trading ships or caravans.
A bite from one of these fleas could infect a human. Humans caught the disease either from fleabites or from other infected people.
As the disease spread, one person could infect others just by being close to them. Even when all ships were
quarantined for 40 days, rats living on board could simply swim ashore.
The journey of death
Genoese traders brought the Black Death to Sicily in 1347. It took hold of the ports of Pisa, Genoa, and
Marseilles, then swept into France and Spain. A few areas escaped: Milan, Flanders and parts of Poland.
Black Death facts
* The term “bubonic plague” comes from the buboes, or dark swellings, that appear in the armpits and groin
of an infected person.
* At the height of the Black Death, the Rhone river in France was consecrated as a graveyard; many hundreds of victims were thrown into it.
* In 1348 the Black Death killed the great Italian historian, Giovanni Villani. His writings end in mid-sentence,
with, “And this plague lasted until....”
* The Black Death claimed an enormous 25 million lives in Europe alone: at least a quarter of its population.
This is more than three times the number of soldiers killed in World War I.
Hot under the collar
On doctors’ orders, Pope Clement VI spent the hot summer of 1348 sitting between two fires that were
kept permanently stoked. Although he didn’t know it, the heat probably kept the fleas at bay, and he survived.
Peasants’ Revolts
Survivors of the plague, which had greatly reduced Europe’s work-force, demanded higher pay and better
conditions. French peasants revolted in 1358; English peasants in 1381. Both revolts were crushed and their
leaders killed.
Flagellants
Many believed that the plague was God’s punishment for their sins. Some, called Flagellants, would
whip themselves until they bled, hoping for salvation.
including up to 675,000 in the US. While only about 1% of those infected with the virus died, it
became one of the deadliest viruses ever known to man. Although called the “Spanish” Flu, this avian
virus was thought to have originated in the United States. The 1918 flu has been described as being
capable of sickening and killing a person on the same day. The virus is an H1N1 type A influenza.
Symptoms of infection were similar to, but more severe than typical, seasonal flu.
When the 1918 Spanish flu disappeared, no samples of the virus were retained for scientific study. In
1997, however, scientists recovered fragments of the virus’s RNA genome from the preserved remains of
infected people. The genome of the flu virus is composed of 8 RNA segments. Recently, scientists were
able to remake the 1918 flu using a technique called reverse genetics.
pestis. Bubonic plague symptoms include: enlarged, tender lymph nodes, fever, chills and prostration.
The mortality rate is 50-90%, if untreated.
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The Black Death
The Black Death was an epidemic that permanently changed the face of medieval Europe. Acombination of bubonic and pneumonic plague, it caused one of the worst disasters in human history.The Black Death probably arrived in Europe from Central Asia by way of Mongol raiders. It first caused epidemics in Italy in 1347, spreading rapidly through the rest of Europe. The doctors did not understand the cause of the disease and they had no idea what to do about it. In just four years, between 1347 and 1351, the Black Death killed one-fifth of all the people in Europe.
How the plague spread
The disease was spread by the bite of fleas from infected rats, but because its cause was not understood, the
infection raged unchecked. This flea lived on black rats, which came to Europe on trading ships or caravans.
A bite from one of these fleas could infect a human. Humans caught the disease either from fleabites or from other infected people.
As the disease spread, one person could infect others just by being close to them. Even when all ships were
quarantined for 40 days, rats living on board could simply swim ashore.
The journey of death
Genoese traders brought the Black Death to Sicily in 1347. It took hold of the ports of Pisa, Genoa, and
Marseilles, then swept into France and Spain. A few areas escaped: Milan, Flanders and parts of Poland.
Black Death facts
* The term “bubonic plague” comes from the buboes, or dark swellings, that appear in the armpits and groin
of an infected person.
* At the height of the Black Death, the Rhone river in France was consecrated as a graveyard; many hundreds of victims were thrown into it.
* In 1348 the Black Death killed the great Italian historian, Giovanni Villani. His writings end in mid-sentence,
with, “And this plague lasted until....”
* The Black Death claimed an enormous 25 million lives in Europe alone: at least a quarter of its population.
This is more than three times the number of soldiers killed in World War I.
Hot under the collar
On doctors’ orders, Pope Clement VI spent the hot summer of 1348 sitting between two fires that were
kept permanently stoked. Although he didn’t know it, the heat probably kept the fleas at bay, and he survived.
Peasants’ Revolts
Survivors of the plague, which had greatly reduced Europe’s work-force, demanded higher pay and better
conditions. French peasants revolted in 1358; English peasants in 1381. Both revolts were crushed and their
leaders killed.
Flagellants
Many believed that the plague was God’s punishment for their sins. Some, called Flagellants, would
whip themselves until they bled, hoping for salvation.
The “Spanish” flu
The “Spanish” flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 caused the deaths of 20-50 million people worldwideincluding up to 675,000 in the US. While only about 1% of those infected with the virus died, it
became one of the deadliest viruses ever known to man. Although called the “Spanish” Flu, this avian
virus was thought to have originated in the United States. The 1918 flu has been described as being
capable of sickening and killing a person on the same day. The virus is an H1N1 type A influenza.
Symptoms of infection were similar to, but more severe than typical, seasonal flu.
When the 1918 Spanish flu disappeared, no samples of the virus were retained for scientific study. In
1997, however, scientists recovered fragments of the virus’s RNA genome from the preserved remains of
infected people. The genome of the flu virus is composed of 8 RNA segments. Recently, scientists were
able to remake the 1918 flu using a technique called reverse genetics.
Typhus
Typhus is an infectious disease transmitted by the human body louse. The disease causes fever, prostration,
head and body aches, as well as an extensive rash. Between 1918 and 1922, an epidemic of unprecedented
scale engulfed Russia and her provinces. An estimated 25-30% of the population were infected.
Plague
Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by a bacterium named Yersiniapestis. Bubonic plague symptoms include: enlarged, tender lymph nodes, fever, chills and prostration.
The mortality rate is 50-90%, if untreated.
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