The Plague

Although not as often as in the 14th and 15th centuries, during the 16th century there were still some outbreaks of the plague. The plague was caused by a bacterium that was imported into Europe from China. The first “invasion of the plague” we know of was in the 6th century, the so-called Justinian plague. In 1348 a new series of plague started which finished in England in the 1660s and in Western Europe in the 1720’s. With each outbreak, it usually would extinguish 1/3 of the population. In the 16th century however, this had lowered to 10% of the population.

The bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted by fleas from rodents (rats) to humans. Once a human is bitten by a contaminated flea, the bacterium is very toxic. Most times, 60-80 percent of the people that are infected die. It is also very contagious, especially in a warm and humid climate.

The plague is called the bubonic plague because of its effects. The bacterium makes the lymph nodes swell, which causes large bumps. Another sign of the plague are blisters and dark coloured spots on the skin. This is why the plague is often called the Black Death.

Another form of the plague is the pneumonic plague. This plague is characterised by pneumonia and this form is spread by coughing and sneezing, which makes it even more contagious than the bubonic plague. It is also more deadly, the death rate is almost 100% if it is not treated.