Pandemics

             Throughout history, pandemics/epidemics have had dire effects on
             societies and sent shockwaves through the world. They have undermined
             economies and eroded the very foundations and values these societies
             were based on. Two of these pandemics, perhaps the worst, are the
             Bubonic Plague of 14th century Europe and the AIDs outbreak in 20th/21st
             The Bubonic (or 'Black) Plague originated from rodents and fleas in China, in the 1330s. Being a bustling trading city at the time, it was inevitable the disease would spread and cause a major pandemic. It was Italian merchants brought the disease to Europe. (Rice, The Black Death: Bubonic Plague) "The Black Sea, where the Italians had trading colonies...The Black Plague spread through the importing and exporting of goods from country to country (Turner, The Plague)." Europeans, not knowing any better, blamed god. Early attempts to quarantine the infected and cordon off infected/uninfected cities were a failure because the Europeans failed to realize the disease was perpetuated by rodents and fleas, not other humans. During winter time, animals seeking refuge from the cold would often hide in houses, infecting a family which would inevitably lead to a whole town being infected (Turner, The Plague). Also contributing to the rapid spread of the plague was the poor sanitation common in European society. Bathing was rare, due to a lack of running water. Garbage was often left unchecked in the streets, feeding and attracting the creatures that had the virus (West, What is the Bubonic Plague?). All these factors only helped to breed the virus and contribute to rapid spread.
             In five years (1347-1352), the plague wiped out 25 million people, or one third of Europe's populace. It took several centuries for Europe to regain this appaling number of people. Even centuries after the plague had devastated Europe, minor outbreaks occured. In mid-17th century London,
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Pandemics. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:19, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/19338.html