ANTHROP 2U03 Lecture : The Black Death
9 Jan 2012
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Note: plague is still endemic in vietnam (sw) Yersinia pestis: primarily an internal parasite of rodents, particularly rats (rattus rattus) It is carried from humans to humans by fleas (usually xenopsylla cheopis) deserting dying or dead animals in search of nourishment. humans are incidental hosts (not the primary targets) It can also be deposited through flea excrement. It is also possible that the disease may be transmitted by human fleas (pulex irritans) if the flea bites an individual with septicaemic plague and subsequently goes on to bite a susceptible individual. Epidemiological information: case fatality rate ranges from 60 80 per cent, about half of suffers will die within 8 days. Historical context: high middle ages (10th through 13th centuries, europe experienced great population growth and urban expansions, period was largely disease-free, wealth due to crops, reached its peak in the mid-13th century.
