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When and where did the Black Death appear?
This was a serious disease that devastated part of the Western world in the 14th century. The epidemic called the Black Death first appeared on the Italian Peninsula in 1348.
The disease originates from Mongolia, where fleas that host the bacteria Yersinia pestis infected surroundings. These animals would have spread the disease when accessing places inhabited by humans.
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Infected fleas could also be on horses and cattle, animals that have always been in close contact with humans.
On ships and vessels, rats played the role of spreading the disease. At that time, the maritime flow between East and West was great, something that made the epidemic increase even more.
Transmission of the Black Death
Transmission of the Black Death occurred in three ways, according to scientists: through the air, through rat bites and flea bites.
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When the bacteria entered the bloodstream, the lymphatic system suffered from cell death. The infected person felt their armpits and groin swell. As the disease was not combated, the swellings later spread throughout the body. The bacteria could also attack the circulatory system, so that the infected person would only have a week to live when this occurred.
When man was infected through the airways, the first organ affected was the lung, sacrificing the respiratory system. Pneumonic plague killed in just three days, according to doctors.
In other cases, the Black Death can also affect the blood system. As there was no scientific proof and speculation remained, Jews, lepers and foreigners were accused of bringing and spreading the disease in Europe.
However, the epidemic would have occurred due to people's lack of hygiene and basic sanitation. Because of its combination with religious belief, the Black Death was interpreted as divine punishment by a large part of society.
Cities at that time did not have garbage collection or sewage pipes. In other words: all the material was abandoned on the streets. This attracted many insects and rats, which helped spread the Black Death. Under these conditions, the disease reached a large part of a city's inhabitants quickly.
As the Black Death killed many people, cities ended up being almost abandoned and went through economic and social crises.
To try to contain the spread of the plague, centers were created to treat and isolate those infected. However, medicine at the time was not very advanced, and those infected appealed to God in search of a cure.
The Black Death killed a third of Europe's population.
