Sanitation During the Black Death

The Black Death was one of the most life-changing pandemics in history. It was first discovered 550 years later in the 1800s by Alexandre Yersin, a french biologist. In his honor, the plague was named Yersinia Pestis. The plague traveled in two major ways. Yersin discovered that it traveled by infected fleas; the flea would attempt to feed on a human or animal and would then regurgitate the disease into the new host, further spreading the illness. Urban areas across Europe were populous with rats, which were one of the main hosts of the plague. These rodents spread the Black Death throughout cities in days. The unaffected still were not safe if they did not come in contact with an infected flea or rat. The plague also traveled pneumonically, or through the air. It caused large boils full of blood and pus, which would pop and spread. Another symptom was coughing, which was one of the many ways of proliferation. The disease eventually spread throughout Europe and killed a third of it’s population. It’s wrath caused many shortages, loss in hope, riots, and even some good things, such as many changes in art, science, and education. Therefore, the Black Death was one of the most life-changing pandemics in history.

75 to 200 million people died from the Bubonic Plague it was estimated about 2\3 of the European population died. Bubonic Plague hurts the Immune system by attacking an invading it. The only way to stop the Bubonic plague is by antibiotics and prescription drugs that destroy the virus. If not treated it will enter the bloodstream and attacks the lungs. Which could give the body Pneumonic plague which is deadly and the Pneumonic plague will give people hepatitis which will give the body fatigue and muscle weakness. The cells in the body system fights off bad pathogens. It keeps the body from getting infected with viruses and diseases like the flu. The Bubonic plague entered the Immune System by changing it form to disguise itself so it will let it in when it is in the Immune System. It attacks by shutting it down and kills cells inside. So the body cannot fight it off. Then it enters the bloodstream and without the immune system it cannot be stopped because the immune system fights off the virus. And without it fighting off viruses the body is prone to any diseases and viruses like the t cell which keeps the flu virus away from the body. And the Bubonic plague kills the t cell which now it is prone to the flu. And it also attacks the b cell which makes antibodies which helps the body become healthier and safer.

"Plague”. “Best known as bubonic plague for the "buboes" (lumps) that formed on the victims'

The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, was a disease that devastated Medieval Europe, between 1346 and 1352 it killed 45 million people, wiping out a third of Europe's population. Today, we know that there were many causes of the Black Death. Medieval towns had no system of drains, sewers or trash collections. In such slovenly conditions, germs could grow, and diseased rats could call these medieval towns their homes and infect the people who lived there. Many historians believed the plague originated in china and spread to other countries by trade routes. Infected people and/or infected rodents such as mice or black rats. The Black Death was caused by strains of the bubonic plague. The plague lived in fleas, and fleas lived on

The plague was a catastrophic time in history, and happened more than once. It took millions and millions of people’s lives. It destroyed cities and countries, and many people suffered from it.

When the plague first infected a person, it began with swellings in the groin and armpit (Document 2). Some of the swellings could be the size of an apple or an egg (ibid.)! After the first swellings appeared, the whole body would soon be covered in dark and bluish grey spots (ibid.). Soon after these spots covered the body, death would be upon the infected person within days (ibid.). Many doctors tried to cure people of these symptoms, but many failed (ibid.) This was because of the nature of the illness or the ignorance of the doctors’ (ibid.). The doctors didn’t know enough about the disease to be able to effectively treat their patients’

One of the main reasons that the plague was so devastating was the close proximity to one another and then the low levels of sanitation in addition. During this time period people bathed, but not regularly and toilets were nonexistent. Most waste was thrown out into the streets. While these conditions were around even before the plague was a whisper one heard, it only furthered the ability of many to become infected. Coming into

The attempts of secluding and quarantining the sick were obviously not very efficient since roughly twenty-five million died; however, the plague might have been much worse and consumed more lives had this response not been widely practiced.

Bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and the septicemic plague. People become infected with the bubonic plague when bitten by the flea, which infects the immune system and causes inflammation. Leaving it untreated leads to the pneumonic or septicemic plague. Pneumonic plague is when the bacteria reaches the lungs, it is the most harmful version of the Black Death; airborne transmitted like coughing, sneezing and spitting, which causes whoever breathing the air to also contract the pneumonic plague. The septicemic plague is when the bacteria directly infiltrates the bloodstream and then Yersinia pestis would spread throughout the blood. The bubonic and pneumonic plague can lead to the septicemic plague when it's not

The fear of disease caused the people to have erratic and emotional feelings. They blamed people and things that had no piece in the cause of the plague. People who were blamed for the plague would publicly kill or beat themselves because they believed what people would say.(Historic World Events) Knowing what we do now we know, in reality, people brought the spread upon themselves. The disease itself would infect airborne objects like fleas. The fleas would bite people and other animals continuing the spread of the disease. Rats were another big issue for people. The rats would get bitten by the fleas and then move to the farms and boat areas and bite people. The rats would also be in the markets and then the food the people would eat would have the disease in the area where it originated (Hoyle). Ships crews would all die out at sea, then float to shore. According to Jacob von Königshofen, that’s the way it would get across the seas and oceans to certain islands and port cities. Lastly, and the most disgusting thing that caused the spread of the plague, was the unhealthiness of the people. They would dump their bodily fluids in the streets causing an unhealthy environment. Also, there were so many deaths that they would just leave the dead bodies lying around until they could get a proper burial day. These practices accelerated the exposure of millions. (Historic world

The Black Plague, also known as the Black Death, started in southern Europe around 1348. Within three years, the Plague swept throughout Europe, killing many people. The main bullet that public officials had to shoot at the Plague was isolation, the complete separation from others. An infected person was isolated for a period of fourteen days, although the quarantine time was gradually increased to forty days. Disturbed by the effect that the Black Plague had, public officials created a sanitary system to battle contagious diseases. They used observation stations, isolation hospitals, and disinfection procedures. Pure water supplies, garbage and sewage disposal, and food inspections were started to improve sanitation. These efforts were especially

Bubonic plague is an infectious disease that is spread by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. These bacteria remain in a dormant state primarily in a rat flea’s foregut. Once the flea has bitten a victim it regurgitates the contents in its foregut into the bite location. Once the bacterium has entered into a mammal’s warm body it begins to reproduce and spread throughout the mammal’s body. The reproduction of this bacterium creates large painful swollen lymph nodes which are called buboes. Once these buboes get large enough they begin to ooze infected body fluid so that any contact between an infected person and a healthy person will facilitate the spread of this disease. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2012)

There are three types of plague disease and each one of them has different symptoms. The first type of plague disease, the most popular type of disease, called Bubonic plague. According to Patient Care & Health Information in Mayo Clinic, its symptoms start to appear with less than 10 days after someone got bitten by an infected flea. The symptoms start with buboes, swollen lymph nodes, appear in some places in the body like neck, groin, or armpit. Also, buboes’ size is almost like a chicken egg size. A headache, muscle ache, chills and fever are the other sings of this type of disease (2015). The other type of plague disease is a result of plague bacteria multiplies in the blood which known as Septicemic plague. According to CDC, shock,

The Bubonic Plague and a variation called the septicemic plague was spread throughout Europe by oriental rats that carried infected fleas. Little is known to why the infection never seemed to affect the carrier rats. Infected fleas were being starved by the infection, so they began feasting upon the people they came into contact with. These fleas coming into contact with any human being would infect the human with the disease. These people were now carriers of the Bubonic plague or Black Death. These infected people would then spread the disease by coughing or coming into direct contact with another human being. However, this disease, since not being transmitted via rat would now be called the Pneumonic Plague. (www.insecta-inspecta.com).

The pandemic can be likened very much to the Bubonic Plague of the fourteenth century in terms of its