Black Death

The Black Death plague arrived in western Europe in 1347 and in England in 1348. It faded away in the early 1350s. The Black Death, or ‘pestilencia’ was the worst catastrophe in recorded history. It destroyed a higher proportion of the population than any other single known event. One observer noted ‘the living were scarcely sufficient to bury the dead.’ Old and young, men and women: all of society – royalty, peasants, archbishops, monks, nuns and parish clergy. None were immune to the Black Death. In Europe it is thought that some 50 million people died.

In a study published in January 2017, researchers simulated Black Death outbreaks. The model that focused on fleas and ticks on humans was the most accurate for explaining the spread of the disease.

In Medieval times people believed that the Black Death came from God, and responded with prayers. Rats have long been blamed for spreading the Black Death. A study suggests that rats weren’t the main carriers of fleas and lice that spread the plague ... it was humans.