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The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, is an infection mostly suffered by humans. The infection is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis that spreads by infected fleas. The disease travels on rodents, and other small mammals carrying the fleas. Symptoms include fever, chills, swollen and painful lymph nodes (called buboes). The incubation period usually last 2 to 8 days, and if left untreated, can spread to the rest of the body. The disease is now uncommon in the modern world due to antibiotics and improved living conditions.

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Spread of the Black Death (from the original outbreak to its end), 1346–1353. 

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Scientists have found that the Bubonic Plague originated in northern Kyrgyzstan through analyzing DNA found in the teeth of plague victims.Their findings suggest that the Black Death began around the 1300's and then spread to Europe through trade routes. Marmots living in the area today have fleas that carry a strain of the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, and researchers say that this strain is likely related to the ancient strain. They hypothesize these marmots were responsible for transmitting the disease to humans.

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Beginning in central Asia, the Bubonic Plague eventually spread to Europe through trade routes, particularly the Silk Road. It spread rapidly on merchant ships reaching the port of Italy first in 1347. By 1348, the plague had spread to France, Spain, and England. The first outbreak during this time was recorded to have killed 50 million people. Later on, there were subsequent breakouts in the 1600s, killing about 100,000 people. Without modern antibiotics, the Bubonic Plague was estimated to have a mortality rate of 30-75%.

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The Bubonic plague had many lasting effects on society such as increased migration, loss of faith, labor shortage, decline in trade, temporary halts to wars, and dramatic appearances in medieval art and architecture. The feudal systems began to break down and Serfs actually began to gain more rights. As the black death devastated millions, many developed different lifestyles such as becoming more charitable and some less religious. In terms of medicine, transmission of the disease was observed and symptoms were used for later diagnosis.

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Virulence refers to the degree of pathogenicity or the ability of a virus or bacterium, to cause disease. The Bubonic Plague was highly virulent during the 1300s causing severe sickness and high mortality rates. The bacterium Yersinia pestis remains virulent, however modern medicine and public health measures have reduced its deadly impact. The virulence of the disease has not changed with time, but our ability to treat it has improved.

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I thoroughly enjoyed researching the Bubonic plague for my choice of infectious disease and found many surprising discoveries. A revealing aspect of Medieval times was the speed and scale of the pandemic, wiping out a third of Europe’s population during the few years. To me this revealed the absence of modern medicine and public health practices. Commoners were not aware of how diseases spread or how to treat them properly, resulting in mass death and rapid spread. This really highlighted the vulnerability of past societies and how much better medical knowledge has gotten over the years. A fact that surprised me was how environmental factors were suspected to play a role in the disease transmission. Research suggests that a warmer and wetter climate caused rodent numbers to drop, leaving fleas to seek out alternate hosts like domestic animals—and humans. Lastly, an important finding not included in my Padlet, were the early public health measures taken, such as quarantine and isolation. During the plague, these were deemed effective and inspired modern day practices such as our efforts during Covid-19. If I were to have included this in my Padlet, it would be for a section diving into the historical roots of public health measures. I have learned a great deal about how a disease can permeate and alter a society deeply through my research of the Bubonic plague.