When tragedy strikes and an epidemic begins, it's up to society to fend for itself. One such tragedy was the Black Death, which hit the world in its most sensitive era. This disease took hold, infesting the world and causing thousands of deaths. However, it wasn't the Black Death alone that ripped a hole in Europe from 1347 to 1750. No, it was what events followed after the Black Death struck.
The Black Death was one of the worst epidemics to ever strike the world. It caused more than 25 million deaths and 60 percent of Europe's population to dwindle. This was one of the biggest killers the world had ever seen. However, the most atrocious part of the Black Death isn't the amount of people it killed, but how rapidly it was able to spread. It's a common misconception that the Plague was carried only by fleas that lived on rats, but it was mainly carried via lice and fleas on people from the mid-14th century. Scientists have proven that if the Black Death was only carried by rats “(zoonosis)”, then the outcome and rapidness of its spread wouldn't have been so great, but after running some tests and models of what most likely would have happened, they were able to conclude that for the rapidness in growth than the Black Death must have been carried by lice and fleas that lived on humans. The transmission between these parasites could have been done in a variety of ways, from sharing clothing, intercourse, or simply being near someone.
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The process by which someone gets infected with the Black Death is very extravagant. First lice or a flea must come into contact with a human. This can be done from rat to person, person to person, the mammal has either died, or the insect is prepared to transfer to a new host, but in any case, the insect will leap onto its next victim. Once on the victim, the insect begins to feed on their host by biting through their skin. After ripping through the flesh, the insect will then swallow the food that it had beaten off, and then proceed to regurgitate. The regurgitation process is where the Black Death comes from because the regurgitation of the flea or lice has bacteria called Yersinia pestis. These bacteria which are found in the insect's gut are then thrown up into the body, where it then begins to lymph noodle and reproduce at a rapid speed.
Yersinia pestis is the real killer throughout the Black Death and is also referred to as the plague. It is an unbelievably virulent pathogen that can cause a substantial amount of sickness and death if left untreated. 'Yersinia pestis encodes two antigenic molecules: Fraction 1 (F1) capsular antigen, and VW antigen. Both of these molecules are needed for pathogenicity and are not expressed at temperatures lower than 37°C. This requirement is the main reason why Yersinia is not virulent in fleas, since their body temperature normally levels around 25°C”(UConn). “Yersinia pestis is also a Gram-negative,bipolar-staining coccobacillus member of the Enterobacteriaceae family, and is an obligate intracellular pathogen that must be contained within the blood to survive. It is also a fermentative, motile organism that produces a thick antiphagocytic slime layer in its path.”(UConn). The main reason why Yersinia pestis was such a super killer was because treatment didn't exist in the mid-13th century and was in the bubonic category for diseases.
In the world three types of plague super killers have been identified; bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. Bubonic has been identified by swollen lymph glands called “buboes”; symptoms become fully eleven after 2-6 days of being infected. The effects are very flu-like, but one major effect is gangrene in the extremities, which is why it has the name “Black Death”. It's said that “being bitten with a plague-carrying flea, the infection starts suddenly with fever, headache, chills, and weakness, accompanied by one or more swollen, tender, and painful lymph nodes, called buboes—hence, the name bubonic plague” (Wood, Sheryl). “Septicemia occurs when a bacterial infection elsewhere in the body, such as the lungs or skin, enters the bloodstream. This is dangerous because the bacteria and their toxins can be carried through the bloodstream to your entire body” (Healthline Media). It can become life-threatening very rapidly and can spread throughout the entire body at extreme speeds. Pneumonic comes in two types; Primary Pneumonic and Secondary Pneumonic. Primary pneumonia is the worst of the two and by far the worst out of the other plagues. It can travel through the entire body leaving behind hideous welts. It causes major discomfort and flu-like symptoms, while also causing chest pain with an intense failure to breathe. Secondary pneumonia is the lesser of the two. However, it is not the lesser of the other plagues. Secondary Pneumonic has the same symptoms as its Primary counterpart, but it is lacking in some of the symptoms, while also being somewhat easier to cure.
It's odd to think that Europe was lucky the Black Death was only a Bubonic plague rather than the Septicemic or Pneumonic Plague. The Black Death could be treated but not curable for their time. It was very difficult to contain the plague once it began to spread, but Europe developed a plan that was somewhat successful in slowing the growing epidemic. Their first objective was to create antibiotics that could low or even kill the bacteria that infected the people. Their second step was to try and section off the diseased people from the health people and keep them in quarantine in hopes of the infection from spreading further than it already has.
However, no matter their attempts, Europe was unsuccessful in stopping the plague.
The Black Death did not only stay inside the boundaries of Europe but spread throughout the world. “The plague can currently be found in every continent in the world except Australia, though it is particularly endemic in third-world countries such as India, Brazil, Peru, Madagascar, Vietnam, and China. In the United States, the loci of infection are in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Nevada. There are approximately 10-15 cases a year in the rural U.S. and 1-3,000 worldwide. The last urban epidemic in the United States was from 1924-1925 in Los Angeles; worldwide, a 1994 endemic in India killed almost 10 million”(UConn). It started to turn the world dark spreading person to person, being one of the biggest murderers known to man. No matter how safe you were the plague war was coming with no mercy.
The Black Death had caused Europe years of pain and detriment, but it wasn't only Europe that was affected, but the entire world. With so many deaths Europe's economy started to fall, thus other nations could no longer trade with them. Unemployment rates began to go up, while other nations were in fear of it infecting their country. Money started to be spent endlessly on the epidemic causing prices to lower. “In short, the most noteworthy economic consequences of the disease were that the fields were not cultivated and the harvests rotted; this in turn sparked an incipient shortage of agricultural products, which were only consumed by those people who could pay for them. With the increase in prices, those with the fewest means endured hardship and suffering”(bbvaopenmind).
Despite the world's best efforts, the Black Death persisted at an alarming rate, but it eventually ran its course and ended. Now it's still seen today, but there are cures for it. “Before ciprofloxacin was approved for use, people infected with Yersinia pestis, the plague-causing bacteria, were treated with streptomycin or doxycycline. Streptomycin kills the bacteria but has serious side effects, and doxycycline inhibits the bacteria, but doesn't completely kill it” (Wood, Sheryl). Even though these treatments may not be the perfect answer to the Black Death they are the best form of medicine that we have to cure it. The medicines used on these bacteria are designed to attack the immune system of the parasite. Once done the infection should start clearing up, but the medicine could also attack the host immune system, which is where the risk of it comes from.
Now the Black Death isn’t as prominent, but an outbreak could reenergize if the disease were to mutate drastically. However, if an outbreak was to resurrect, society would be more prone to handling its outbreak, thanks to modern medicine and the adjustments to the world. Or it could sway the other way and spread extremely rapidly due to the huge population growth. Nevertheless, it would be better for the world if this epidemic never peeks its hideous head into the world again.
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