The Deadliest Pandemic in History
The Black Plague of the 14th Century
As the world reels from the latest virus, there have been many plagues ravaging humanity throughout history. But the deadliest one remains the Black Plague or Black Death, a bubonic virus that attacked much of the planet. It’s a staggering figure that as much as 50% of the world’s population perished from the virus. How did it happen and did we learn anything from it?
Origin of the Black Plague
The virus that later led to the Black Plague likely came from bacteria that originated in Asia up to 2000 years ago, according to research. Through land and sea connections, the new virus spread almost as quickly as it does today by air travel.
That is how the Black Plague spread through Africa, Asia, and Europe in the mid 1300s. The most likely carriers of the disease were fleas and rodents who mingled with and transmitted bacteria to human populations.
The Virus Spread Rapidly
It’s likely there was an epidemic in China and India in the 1330s. However, written records recounting the events are slim and accurate numbers aren’t known. But the disease did travel west.
Caravans of humans and animals travelling land routes moved the virus through trade routes. Ships transporting animals and other goods also carried rats on board, which transmitted the plague across sea routes.
Small Italian run city-states were already established around the Black Sea. In 1344 war broke out between Genoese traders there and Mongol armies. According to accounts, a plague devastated the attacking Mongols, forcing them to give up their siege of the Genoese. But before they left, they allegedly catapulted dead bodies of their diseased soldiers into the Genoese fortifications. The disease quickly spread to the Middle East and Europe.
Symptoms of the Black Death
As mentioned, in modern times, scientists concluded that the Black Plague was spread by infected fleas and rats, and then from person to person through the air. However, at the time, little was known about transmission. The plague was rampant and felt like the end of the world was near.
The effects of the disease were appalling. It affected the lymphatic system, causing swelling in the lymph nodes. The first sign was swelling around the body, especially in the armpits and groin area. Discharges of blood or other fluid followed. Other symptoms included fever, diarrhea, nausea, and extreme pain.
Death followed within hours or sometimes days. People could go to bed seemingly healthy and be dead by morning. Mass graves were built and bodies piled into them. Sometimes the dead lay in the street for days with no one to remove them.
Medieval Treatments
There was no known treatment at the time. One medieval doctor suggested “instantaneous death occurs when the aerial spirit escaping from the eyes of the sick man strikes the healthy person standing near and looking at the sick.” Bloodletting and boil lancing were common practices causing more harm than good.
A crude form of quarantine developed. Healthy people avoided the sick and families stayed indoors. Sick people were turned away by doctors, priests, and merchants. Some fled the cities to stay in less populated areas. But still, the disease spread.
Many turned to faith. The Black Plague was seen as divine punishment for a variety of sins committed. Efforts were made to purge communities of alleged heretics. Thousands of Jews in Europe were massacred at the height of the plague in 1348 and 1349.
End of the Black Plague
Although the plague never completely disappeared, the Black Death subsided by the early 1350s, mostly due to natural causes, such as the developed immunity of survivors. It would have appeared miraculous but not everyone fell sick.
Crude quarantines helped in some areas. The virus was dealt with by some port officials by keeping newly arrived sailors quarantined on their ships for up to one month. That may have slowed or limited the spread.
Aftermath
The toll on Europe was especially catastrophic. Exact numbers are difficult to know. There are estimates that between 1347 and 1353 anywhere from 30% to 60% of the population perished.
Up to 100 million may have died around the world. The world population, estimated at 450 million before the Black Plague, dropped closer to 350 million by 1400. It took almost 100 years to replace the population losses.
The economic and political fallout was significant. There were massive declines in demand for goods and services. But there also was a shortage of needed labor to rebuild societies. The desperate need for labor led to higher wages and the decline of feudal serfdom.
Governments became more involved in monitoring and policing health issues. Science looked for answers and new ways of combatting disease. As modern history shows, viruses cannot always be eradicated, but they often can be contained and treated.
Sources:
Origins Of The Black Death Traced Back To China, Gene Sequencing Has Revealed (medicalnewstoday.com)
Bubonic Plague (article) | Khan Academy
Black Death — Causes, Symptoms & Impact — HISTORY
How Did The Black Plague End? Experts Are Still Working On An Answer (allthatsinteresting.com)
The Black Death Kills Thirty to Sixty Percent of Europe’s Population : History of Information
Combating black plague was just as much about politics as it was science | Stanford News
