Black Death | pandemic in Europe and Asia during the 14th century

Author: Leandro Alegsa Creation date: November 13, 2022

The Black Death was a pandemic in Europe and Asia during the 14th century.

This outbreak of disease was at its worst between 1347 and 1351.

It killed between 75 million and 200 million people across Europe, the Middle East, India, and China.

Historians cannot be sure which disease caused the Black Death. However, most think that it was the bubonic plague. That is a bacterial infection caused by the Yersinia pestis species of bacteria.

The Black Death may have begun in Central Asia or East Asia. It definitely appeared in Crimea in 1347. It was probably carried by fleas living on black rats, which traveled on Genoan ships and brought the plague to port cities around the Mediterranean. Rats may also have traveled along trade routes like the Silk Road and brought infected fleas to European cities. When the fleas bit humans, they infected them with the plague by injecting a bit of Y. pestis bacteria into the wound. Symptoms would start three to seven days later.

Not everybody agrees that plague caused the Black Death. Some historians have suggested that anthrax or a viral hemorrhagic fever caused the pandemic.

Questions and Answers

Q: What was the Black Death?

A: The Black Death was a pandemic that occurred in Europe and Asia during the 14th century, killing between 75 million and 200 million people.

Q: What caused the Black Death?

A: Most historians believe that the Black Death was caused by bubonic plague, which is a bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria.

Q: Where did the Black Death originate from?

A: It is believed that it originated in Central Asia or East Asia, and first appeared in Crimea in 1347.

Q: How did humans become infected with the plague?

A: Humans became infected when fleas living on black rats bit them and injected Y. pestis bacteria into their wound.

Q: How long after being bitten would symptoms appear?

A: Symptoms would typically appear three to seven days after being bitten.

Q: Are there any other theories about what caused the Black Death?

A: Yes, some historians have suggested that anthrax or a viral hemorrhagic fever may have been responsible for causing the pandemic.