A tragic history of the world: Black Death

The Black Death was an epidemic of bubonic plague in 1347 to 1351. It was originally called Pestilence because it was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that circulates among wild rodents where they live in great numbers and density. This disease was believed to have started in Central Asia or East Asia.

This illness takes ten to fourteen days before an infected rat has killed off most of his contaminated colony. Fleas on rats were the carrier and since the colony of rats was dying, fleas would find new hosts that were closer which were humans. After three days of fasting, hungry rat fleas turn on humans. These fleas will bite most often in the groin, thigh armpit or neck. This bite creates a lymph node that will consequently swell forming a painful bubo. Hence, the name bubonic plague.

The infection takes between three to five days to incubate in people before they fall ill. A percentage of 80 in cases, where victims died between three to five days. To sum it up, from the day of exposure to falling ill has an average of 23 days before the person dies.

It is similar with coronavirus but different. Stay safe everyone!