BLACK PLAGUE

Black Plague

Black Plague

Introduction

The "Black Plague"-the black plague- struck Europe and the Mediterranean area from 1347 through 1351. It was the first of many plagues to hit the European area. These plagues went on until the early 18th century these were much after the ones in the 6th and 8th century. But they were followed by a series of less harmful ones in the 19th century. But the Black Death was not referred to as the black plague but instead Pestilence, or the Great Mortality.(Ryan,2004)

Discussion

The Black Plague was caused by bacterium transmitted from Old English rats and fleas. The bacterium is called Yersinia pestis. It was spread from infected rats to non-infected rats by being bitten by fleas. The flea bit the infected rats and the germ moved into and lived in the flea's stomach. The flea's stomach became filled with the bacterium and could no longer digest blood. When the newly infected flea bit a rat or human, it threw up into the bite causing the victim to become infected with the Black Death.(Pryor,1975)

There was an estimated one rat for each European family and three fleas to the rat. Some others ways on contraction of the plague were direct contact with body fluids of an infected person or inhalation of airborne drops. The untreated bacterium continued to develop in the bloodstream. A severe blood infection would then begin to develop. In effect, bleeding under the skin occurred, and the skin appeared dark and purple because of dried blood. This is how the name "Black Death" was coined. This disease is passed to humans by blood attached fleas.(Scott,2005)

It was by far the largest plague during the Middle Ages; that it hit during the Sixth, Fourteenth, and Seventeenth centuries. Over one hundred and thirty-seven million people died from the Black Plague; at ...