In the first outbreak, two thirds of the population contracted the illness and most patients died; in the next, half the population became ill but only some died; by the third, a tenth were affected and many survived; while by the fourth occurrence, only one in twenty people were sickened and most of them survived.
Unlike COVID-19, we have clear treatments for the bubonic plague. Additionally, the disease is rare with a few cases every year found in the United States. This means there's pretty much no chance we'd ever see a pandemic play out like the one in the 14th century.
But in modern times, bubonic plague is rare affecting between 1 and 17 people per year in the United States. Bubonic plague is still deadly if not treated, so it's important to seek medical aid immediately if you think you have it. Here's what you need to know about how to treat and prevent bubonic plague.
Unlike coronavirus, most scholars agree on the cause of bubonic plague. Bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium, Yersinia pestis. However, the culprits anthrax, hemorrhagic viral fever, and louse-borne typhus have also been credibly proposed, according to Andrew Noymer, professor of public health at UC Irvine.
The Black Death is believed to have been the result of plague, an infectious fever caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The disease was likely transmitted from rodents to humans by the bite of infected fleas.
Many historians think the plague originated in China. Armies attacking Caffa spread the plague into the town by Armies attacking Caffa spread the plague by catapulting plague corpses into the town.
Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis).
| Bubonic plague |
|---|
| Symptoms | Fever, headaches, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes |
| Usual onset | 1–7 days after exposure |
| Causes | Yersinia pestis spread by fleas |
| COVID-19 pandemic |
|---|
| Location | Worldwide |
| Index case | Wuhan, Hubei, China 30°37′11″N 114°15′28″E |
| Date | 17 November 2019 – present (1 year, 11 months, 1 week and 2 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 244,239,277 |
In 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the centre of London, but also helped to kill off some of the black rats and fleas that carried the plague bacillus. Bubonic Plague was known as the Black Death and had been known in England for centuries. It was a ghastly disease.
While challenging to directly compare, it is likely that COVID-19 will not eventuate as the most damaging pandemic to society, both historically and in the modern age. The other pandemics discussed herein have had significant impacts on societies globally, with larger rates of infection and mortality.
By death toll
| Rank | Epidemics/pandemics | Date |
|---|
| 1 | Black Death | 1346–1353 |
| 2 | Spanish flu | 1918–1920 |
| 3 | Plague of Justinian | 541–549 |
| 4 | HIV/AIDS global epidemic | 1981–present |
One of the worst plagues in history arrived at Europe's shores in 1347. Five years later, some 25 to 50 million people were dead. Nearly 700 years after the Black Death swept through Europe, it still haunts the world as the worst-case scenario for an epidemic.
The Plague of Justinian or Justinianic Plague (541–549 AD) was the first major outbreak of the first plague pandemic, the first Old World pandemic of plague, the contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
| Plague of Justinian |
|---|
| Date | 541–549 AD |
| Deaths | Not known |
In 1894, Alexandre Yersin discovered the bacterium responsible for causing plague: Yersinia pestis.
