The Black Death: A Pandemic In Medieval England

The Black Death The Black Death was a pandemic that wiped though medieval England. It was estimated that this pandemic of the plague, the second pandemic of this disease, killed about 1.5 million people between the years of 1348 and 1350. During this time frame there was very little medical knowledge. Even less known about the “plague”. The bubonic plague is caused by a rod-shaped bacillus called Yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis is a bacteria that is carried by rats. Most rats have an immunity to this bacteria. However a flea does not. Instead the flea dying from consuming the blood of a rat with the bacteria, it is just inhibited from digesting the blood. So when a flea bites a host, any being able to carry the bacteria, it regurgitates its stomach contents. Then it begins to suck the blood of the host. This is how the flea feeds. Due to this behavior, a flea can transmit the bacteria and essentially the disease to a range of host, such as: other rats, mice, camels, prairie dogs, rabbits, squirrels and humans. The most …show more content…
The typical fever, headache, chills, and weakness. However unlike the flu your lymph nodes start to swell significantly. These swollen nodes are then called buboes. These buboes become tender and sensitive. As they become more and more infected they turn black and leak out puss or blood. The Black Death originated in China around 1334. It was spread due to trade with Constantinople and then later to Europe. The Black Death arrived in Europe by Genoese trade ships around October 1347. These ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after traveling the Black Sea. These ships later become known as “death ships”. Most of the sailors on these ships were dead on arrival. Those that were still alive had very little time left. During this time those infected died typically within three days. The ships were sent away, however it was too late. The infection had already