The Black Death
Katherine Xu, January 6, 2016, Digital Literacy, Period 2
The Black Death
The Black Death-Continued
The virus originated in Central Asia, and it traveled along the Silk Road, reaching Crimea by 1343. After Crimea, the disease was carried through infected fleas and rats that went on merchant boats. When the disease spread quickly, some people thought this was a punishment from God. Some believed that they had to purge the troublemakers, so thousands of Jews were massacred in 1348-1349.
There are three different versions of the plague, and the first one is called the Bubonic Plague. It gets its name from the buboes that you develop when you get the disease. The bacteria infects the lymph node system and becomes inflamed. The painful black swellings are in the lymph nodes, underarms, and neck. The victim will develop flu-like symptoms after 3-7 days. The second version is called the Septicemic Plague. The bacteria multiplies in the bloodstream, and inhibits the victim's body's ability to clot. So, essentially, they're bleeding to death, from everywhere, at the same time. The last version is called the Pneumonic Plague. This is the most infectious of all the plagues. The bacteria settles in the lungs and causes pneumonia. If left untreated, this version kills 50% of all victims.