Black Death

Black Death

The Black Death also known as the bubonic plague was the worst widespread of hysteria and death, it was the worst natural disaster in Europe in 1347 A.D. The Black Death killed one third of Europe’s population. The Black Death was caused by fleas, blood sucking parasites, and most believe that the flea’s got to Europe by slave ships were they lived on the back of boat rats. The rat flea has two eyes but can only see very bright light. The rat flea’s mouth does two things, it squirts saliva and it sucks blood from an animal or human body. When a rat flea sucks blood it passes on pathogens which may cause diseases. Many people ask how is the Black Death spreading or better yet how does it began? Well it all begins when the flea drinks the rats blood then the bacteria is multiplied into the flea’s gut now that the gut is clogged with bacteria the flea bites the human and regurgitates blood into an open wound. The bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic are three different forms of the Black Death, all three forms were caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis.
The bubonic plague was the most common form and its death rate was 30-75%, the symptoms were enlarged lymph nodes. The pneumonic plague was the second most common form and its death rate was 90-95%, and its symptoms were the sputum was slimy and tinted with blood these symptoms took only a week to appear. The septicemic plague was the rarest form and its death rate was 100%. Symptoms of this form were high fever and skin turning deep shades of purple. When people fled to other cities hoping to get away from the plague they only made it worse by bringing the plague along with them. It is believed that the plague originated in Asia and moved west with armies and traders. There were many efforts, the government had medical workers everywhere trying to prevent the plague, most of the medical workers quit fearing that they might catch the plague themselves. Many people thought that the disease was air born...