The Black Death - Essay Example

An epidemic, on the other hand is single widespread outbreak. Plague is transmitted from animals to humans by a particular kind of fleas. It is transmitted from one person to another person by direct contact, or breathing droplets containing the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It causes great suffering. Plague usually starts with a flea bite. The flea deposits Yersinia pestis bacterium in other animals. Y. pestis is transmitted from the flea bite site to lymph nodes that swell (buboes). This type of plague is termed bubonic plague (Plague, 2011).

The bacteria then enter the blood stream and affect other organs. Some patients inhale or swallow droplets that contain Y. pestis infecting the lungs. This is termed as pneumonic plague. Death is certain in 50 to 90 %cases. The black death of 1300s have killed one third of the population of Europe. There were not enough people to bury the dead during that period. The decease spread very fast and no medicine were available at that time. Dr. Alexandre Yersin and Dr. Shibasaburo Kitasato made investigations about the disease in 1894. Dr. Paul-Louis Simond, in 1898, discovered that the vector of the disease was a flea (Plague, 2011).

For centuries, the plague bacterium was used as a biological weapon. Even now, it is a biological weapon. It can be easily sprayed into the atmosphere and would be inhaled by unprotected persons. Although many countries have banned biological weapons like this, it has potential to be exploited. The plague which reached in England in the summer months of 1938 mutated into pneumonic form in winter and spread to London in September. By 1349, it spread to Wales and other areas. Churchyards were filled with bodies.

Few villages however, escaped from this pandemic. The Scots took advantage of the situation by raiding Durham in 1349 (Ibeji, 2011). The Scots believed that the English were overwhelmed by vengeance of god. Within a short span of time 5000 of them died. The rest became weak and they retreated. The plague spread to Scotland too. The reason why it spread to Scotland is not clear. That is, whether it was a natural phenomenon or because of contact with the English people during the raid. It is possible that the retreating army might have carried the plague back home.

In Scotland, there was great mortality due to plague. It affects the skin and swelling appears. Children were afraid to visit parents. Life was terrible during the period of plague. The parents were also afraid to visit children. People fled to other regions. The plague created panic throughout England. The year 1349 was regarded as wretched, terrible and destructive by many. By 1350, whole England was infected with plague and two and a half million people were dead. The plague continued in London throughout the winter and spring.

It did not spread evenly. Even though it arrived in Bristol and Dorset, it did not spread to rural Devon that year. The disease also did not spread to St Albans Abbey until April 1349. London was affected by the combined attack of pneumonic and bubonic plague. The British parliament was prorogued in January 1349. Three Archbishops of Canterbury and Two ex-Chancellors died. The plague continued in London until the 1350. I has killed over one third of the population. Persons infected with plague usually died in five days.

On the first day, there was painful swelling, called buboes appear on the armpit and groin. It had the size of an egg. On day two, the victim developed fever and vomited. On third day,