THE BUBONIC PLAGUE Miss Hansen 10th Grade World History
WAIT WHAT? The Bubonic Plague The Black Death The Plague
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE Later named the Black Death Marks the outbreak from 1346 to 1352 Not the first or last outbreak of this disease Still cases of the Plague around the world today Black Death: particularly catastrophic
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE The name bubonic comes from one of the early signs of the disease large, painful swellings called buboes stem from the lymph nodes of the victim Armpit, neck or groin area Other symptoms of the disease include: Overwhelmingly high fever (105 degrees) Victims became delirious Broke out in black splotches (hemorrhaging under skin)
THE DISEASE Yersina pestis is the bacterium that causes the Black Death Plague bacilli are found in many wild rodent populations across the world It s transmitted from one rodent to another by fleas An infected flea s bite will transmit the bacilli into the healthy rat s bloodstream As rats die off, fleas must look for another warm-blooded host to feed on (like humans)
ORIGIN OF THE PLAGUE
SPREAD OF PLAGUE Marmots, large rodents native to central Asia Fur used for trade throughout this part of the world Once furs sent West Hungry fleas jumped from fur to the next living thing they could find Infected fleas eventually latched onto rats
WATER ROUTES The plague reached Kaffa in about 1347 Major port on the Black Sea Medieval Ships: prime dwelling for rats Crews slept, rats ran around, dropping fleas onto the decks below The plague was now being spread via land and water routes
MAPPING THE BLACK DEATH Please get with a partner
MEDIEVAL EXPLANATIONS No one knew the details regarding the nature, cause or how the plague spread Their explanations: unfavorable astrological combinations or misamas witches Muslims blamed Christians and vice versa Both groups blamed the Jews God s wrath on humankind (or on sinners)
FEATURES OF 14TH CENTURY LIFE Thatched roofs Household trash Straw on floors and in bedding nesting & food for rats/fleas Unwashed human bodies and woolen clothes (flea s dream) Interconnectedness of the world long-distance trade religious pilgrimages Medieval towns/villages and homes = crowded
CONSEQUENCES Killed both rich & poor people; poor people more likely to die however The rich had nicer homes, whereas the poor had homes made out of poor materials and no help to keep them sanitary Mortality rates were also higher among physicians and priests attended to the sick and dying Doctors at the bedside of a plague victim
CONSEQUENCES SHORT-TERM Large number of deaths = labor shortage mini-boom in the slave trade wages and standard of living rose for survivors working
CONSEQUENCES LONG-TERM Experience of plague = public health boards, use of quarantine, and university-level training for medial professionals Changes in settlement patterns (eastward migration of Jews) Shtetl culture emerges Increased tension between upper and lower classes Loss in confidence in the Church and political authorities Increase in individualism and personal religious beliefs Backdrop for Renaissance and Reformation? Emphasis on good works
THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH PIETER BRUEGHEL
DANCE OF DEATH
BIOLOGY OF THE PLAGUE The Human Body s Response to the Black Death
ECOLOGY & TRANSMISSION Bacteria called Yersinia pestis Maintain their existence via a cycle, involves rats & fleas The defining requirement for an epidemic (humans) is a rodent outbreak Transmitted by: Flea bites (bubonic plague) Contact with contaminated fluid or tissue (septicemic plague) Infectious droplets (pneumonic plague)
WHAT HAPPENS? After the flea bites the host, the bacteria suppresses the body s natural inflammatory response The bacterium also uses proteins to protect themselves from the immune system They then take a ride on white blood cells and enter into the nearest lymph node The second they reach the lymph node, they multiply
SYMPTOMS Sudden onset of: Fever, Geadache Chills Weakness One or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes (buboes) The bacteria multiply in the lymph nodes closest to wherever the bacteria entered the body
DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT Have you traveled to the western United States? Have you experienced the rapid development of a swollen and painful lymph gland (bubo)? Have you had a known flea bite? Antibiotics are used for treatment of this illness
PREVENTION TIPS FROM THE CDC Reduce the rodent habitat around your home, work place, and recreational areas Wear gloves if you are handling or skinning potentially infected animals to prevent contact between your skin and the bacteria Use repellent if you think you could be exposed to rodent fleas while camping, hiking, or working outdoors Keep fleas off of your pets by applying flea control products Do not allow dogs or cats to roam free in endemic areas to sleep on your bed