The Bubonic Plague In Western Europe

Believed to have started somewhere in Asia, the Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, was a devastating pandemic that struck Europe, Asia and the Middle East in 1347-50 causing an estimated 25 million deaths in Europe alone. Historical records attribute the Black Death to an outbreak of bubonic plague, an epidemic of the bacterium Yersinia pestis spread by fleas, assisted by animals such as the black rat. The result of the plague in Western Europe was not just a huge decline in population; it also had significant short and long-term consequences for all levels of society and the economy.

The Black Death led to several significant economic consequences as the severe decline in population resulted in incomplete building projects, drop