HLTB21H3 Lecture 2: 2 - Plagues of Antiquity & Bubonic Plague (Black Death)
Document Summary
Characterised by parasites with long lived transmission stages. Person to person contact caused the spread of diseases with increase in population. Urban cities first known city is uruk. Nile valley of egypt agriculture and irrigation promoted spread of disease. Snail fever or blood fluke disease / endemic hematuria / schistosomiasis. Transmission stages start as eggs, become adult worms that live in human blood cells. Currently, 200 million still getting infected, 1 million deaths annually. Identity of this plague - unknown to this day. Roman empire established in 27 bc, trade emerged. People grew crops, and changed the environment vectors started to live in these areas. Mosquito vectors passed on the roman fever. Thought to result from vapour from the marshes bad air" (italian: mal"aria) Reduced life expectancy to 20 years, 40-50 years. Ad 166, aurelius antoninus also died of this plague (140-180ad) Route: returning romans from mesopotamia, into roman empire, and then all europe.
