Bubonic plague in Europe

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Against the background of the coronavirus pandemic and the news about the bubonic plague in Mongolia, it is worth recalling the experience of Europe in the fight against the "black death" in the 14th century. It is difficult to calculate how many people died then, but according to generally accepted data - about 50% of the population.

How the medieval pandemic began

China's most famous outbreak of the bubonic plague began in the 1320s. As the researchers explain, the reason was the habit of the local population to eat rodents: gophers and rats.

Initially, the causative agent of the disease, the bacterium Yersinia pestis, infected the inhabitants of Asia, but then the plague began to "travel" around the world along the Silk Road. Through Russia, merchants transported the infected rats to Europe, where the disease spread rapidly.

Officially in Europe, the bubonic plague lasted from 1346 to 1353. The first focus of the spread of infection was the ports of Italy. Then the infected rodents moved slowly between cities, spreading the "black death".

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Symptoms and mortality

According to evidence preserved in historical sources, at first, a person infected with the bubonic plague felt chills and pain in the body. But then the situation worsened:

1. Usually, on the second day, buboes appeared all over the human body. This is the name of the inflamed and hypertrophied lymph nodes, which turned into huge bumps. It was from them that the name of the disease came.
2. Then massive tissue necrosis began. Putrid abscesses covered the entire skin, hemoptysis was observed. The discharge was characterized by a characteristic unpleasant odor and black color.
3. The brain was gradually affected, which caused mental disorders, inappropriate and aggressive behavior.

The man died within 5 days, after which his body completely blackened and exuded a terrible odor. Therefore, the second name of the disease appeared - "black death". At the same time, there was no cure for the plague, and the mortality rate was almost 100% of those infected.

For several decades, up to 90% of the population died in some regions of China. In Europe, according to various sources, about 25 million people died. This is 30-70% of the population of certain countries. In particular, in Paris, by the end of the epidemic, out of 300 thousand inhabitants, only 3000 remained. A similar situation was in all major cities. The chances of survival were higher in rural areas.

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Why "BLACK DEATH" won't happen again

On July 1, 2020, a couple infected with bubonic plague was found in Mongolia. The man and the woman decided to butcher the ferret carcass and eat it. At this time, they were bitten by a flea-carrier of the disease.

But you should not be afraid of this. According to the chief infectious disease specialist of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Vladimir Nikiforov, there are several reasons for this:

1. Bubonic plague is transmitted only through the bites of rodent fleas. However, unlike in Europe in the XIV century, there are no longer enough rats in cities to resume mass infection. By airborne droplets between people, the disease is transmitted only in the last stages, when the person is already definitely under the supervision of doctors.
2. At the beginning and the middle of the XIV century, there was a period of annual floods in Europe. This not only made the insects feel more comfortable, but also provoked a massive weakening of the immune system due to hunger.
3. In the Middle Ages, there were no cures for illness. Infected people were herded into infirmaries, where they were left to die. Now medicine has advanced much further.

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Therefore, even considering how many people died in Europe during the outbreak of the bubonic plague in the XIV century, there is still no reason for panic. As experts promise, the outbreak in Mongolia will not lead to mass infection.

Summarize

1. In the XIV century in Europe, about 25 million people died from the bubonic plague.
2. The carriers of the infection are fleas that live on rodents.
3. When infected, a person dies within five days.
4. The Black Death pandemic will not repeat itself thanks to the improved sanitary and medical conditions of life.