Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 25 to 50 million people (other sources state 75 to 200 million[1]) in Eurasia, North Africa and Near East,[2] peaking in Europe from 1346 to 1353 (up to 50 % of Europe's 14th century population perished).
History
The Black Death, a bubonic plague pandemic, was a bacterial infection, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This bacterium primarily infects small mammals, such as rodents, and is spread to humans through the bites of infected fleas. The resulting disease, bubonic plague, is characterized by painful swollen lymph nodes called buboes, fever, and chills. The Black Death was a particularly devastating pandemic of this bacterial infection that spread across Europe in the 14th century.
Many large-scale consequences of the Black Death have been proposed, including even climate change leading to the "Little Ice Age", by freeing up land and triggering reforestation. Various groups are claimed to have been blamed and persecuted, including friars, foreigners, beggars, pilgrims, Gypsies, lepers (and others with skin disease), and Jews. Wikipedia cites The Jewish Encyclopedia and claims that thousands of Jews were killed in pogroms, making no mention of the often wildly varying claims regarding (claimed) mass killings. Regarding various criticisms, see the "External links" section.
See also
External links
- How bubonic plague rewired the human immune system
- On Jews and Plagues: Adventures in Jewish Historiography
Encyclopedias
- Ancient History Encyclopedia: Black Death
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Black Death
- Encyclopedia.com: Black Death
References
- ↑ The Bright Side of the Black Death
- ↑ The immediate territorial origins of the Black Death and its outbreak remain unclear, with some evidence pointing towards Central Asia, China, the Middle East, and Europe. The pandemic was reportedly first introduced to Europe during the siege of the Genoese trading port of Kaffa in Crimea by the Golden Horde army of Jani Beg in 1347. From Crimea, it was most likely carried by fleas living on the black rats that travelled on Genoese ships, spreading through the Mediterranean Basin and reaching North Africa, West Asia, and the rest of Europe via Constantinople, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula.
