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Deadly Epidemic: The Black Death

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? When the Black Death was introduced to Europe circa 1347 it began one of the deadliest epidemics ever recorded in human history. Being considered the first true epidemic recorded in human history, the Black Death’s impact on life during The Middle Ages was tremendous in the fact that there was no known cure for the disease. Because the spread of the Black Death was so rapid and constant, scientists and doctors of the time had to quickly develop more unconventional healthcare practices to compete with the churches perceived causes of the plague. Although high mortality rates introduced the progression of economic, social, and healthcare innovations, The Black Death had a negative impact on life in Europe as roughly thirty to sixty percent of Europe's population diminished and is now known as one of the deadliest and most widespread epidemics recorded in human history. The impact of the Black Death in Europe was felt all over the world as rapid population digression caused the worlds markets to fail with rapid depression, as Europe was a key trading location in The Middle Ages. Historically Black Death had originated in Central Asia in 1338 and spread through the continent to China and India by 1346. Black Death is assumed to have been originated in trade routes located in the Far East, quite possibly in China and India. These trade routes, also known as The Silk Road, delivered goods to the Mongolian Empire from central Asia, the origin of the Black Death. Contrary to belief, the disease was brought into the Port of Caffa from a Mongol invasion in which Mongols used catapults to launch corpses infected with the disease over the cities walls to promote the spread of the plague. More convincingly the disease was spread from mice infected with fleas containing the disease allowing scientists to believe that Black Death was the bubonic plague. After the Mongol conquest of the Port of Caffa, Black Death spread to Europe from fleeing ships hosting the disease ridden mice first landing in Constantinople, Italy, and Marseilles in 1347. When a fleet of Genoese ships fleeing Caffa first reached the port of Messina, Italian longshoremen were stunned when they discovered a crew of either dead or infected crew members on a Genoese ship. The Genoese ships also carried rats and possibly fleas infected with the bubonic plague which helped spread the disease rapidly both pneumatically as well as from infected fleas biting humans to contract the disease. This was the first encounter on European soil of the tragic Black Death which will cause widespread depression and suffering for years to come. Churches undeveloped theories suggest that the plague was sent from God and placed upon sinners to purify the church. Priests and clergymen believed during this time that the innocent would not contract the disease and it was a reaction of sinning. Some also believed that it was the Jews fau

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