What Disease Killed An Estimated 25 Million People During The Middle Ages?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The plague

killed an estimated 25 million people, almost a third of the continent’s population. The Black Death lingered on for centuries, particularly in cities. Outbreaks included the Great Plague of London (1665-66), in which 70,000 residents died.

What disease killed the most people in the Middle Ages?


The plague

was one of the biggest killers of the Middle Ages – it had a devastating effect on the population of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. Also known as the Black Death, the plague (caused by the bacterium called Yersinia pestis) was carried by fleas most often found on rats.

What disease killed 25 million people during the Middle Ages?


The Black Death

was a plague pandemic which devastated medieval Europe from 1347 to 1352 CE, killing an estimated 25-30 million people. The disease originated in central Asia and was taken to the Crimea by Mongol warriors and traders.

What disease killed up to 75% of the population during the Middle Ages?


The Black Death

was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75–200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1348–1350.

What was the deadliest plague in the Middle Ages?


Black Death

(1347-1352 CE)

The Black Death (death toll estimated at 30 million people) is the best-known plague in history, killing between 30-50% of the population of Europe. Although this epidemic has been identified as bubonic plague, the other two types were also present.

How did Black Death End?

The most popular theory of how the plague ended is

through the implementation of quarantines

. The uninfected would typically remain in their homes and only leave when it was necessary, while those who could afford to do so would leave the more densely populated areas and live in greater isolation.

How did Black Death start?

What caused the Black Death? 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.

What was the average life expectancy in 1300?

As the BBC reported, the life expectancy at birth for males born between 1276 and 1300 was just

over 31 years

. But for those who reached age 20, it jumped to 45 years. And if they reached 30, living into their fifties became likely.

Why is the Black Death called the Black Death?

Rats traveled on ships and brought fleas and plague with them.

Because most people who got the plague died, and many often had blackened tissue due to gangrene

, bubonic plague was called the Black Death. A cure for bubonic plague wasn’t available.

Is the Black plague still around?

An outbreak of the bubonic plague in China has led to worry that the “Black Death” could make a significant return. But experts say the disease isn’t nearly as deadly as it was, thanks to antibiotics.

Was China affected by the Black Death?

On the heels of the European epidemic, a

widespread disaster occurred in China during 1353–

1354. Chinese accounts of this wave of the disease record a spread to eight distinct areas: Hubei, Jiangxi, Shanxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, and Suiyuan, throughout the Mongol and Chinese empires.

What country was most affected by the Black Death?

The most severe outbreak of plague, in the Chinese province of Hubei in 1334, claimed up to 80 percent of the population.

China

had several epidemics and famines from 1200 to the 1350s and its population decreased from an estimated 125 million to 65 million in the late 14th century.

What is the oldest plague in history?

  • 430 B.C.: Athens. The earliest recorded pandemic happened during the Peloponnesian War. …
  • 165 A.D.: Antonine Plague. …
  • 250 A.D.: Cyprian Plague. …
  • 541 A.D.: Justinian Plague. …
  • 4 Diseases You’ve Probably Forgotten About Because of Vaccines.
  • 1918 Flu Pandemic.
  • 5 Advances That Followed Pandemics.

What were the plagues in history?


Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza

are some of the most brutal killers in human history. And outbreaks of these diseases across international borders, are properly defined as pandemic, especially smallpox, which throughout history, has killed between 300-500 million people in its 12,000 year existence.

How many died in the Black Death?

It was believed to start in China in 1334, spreading along trade routes and reaching Europe via Sicilian ports in the late 1340s. The plague killed an

estimated 25 million people

, almost a third of the continent’s population. The Black Death lingered on for centuries, particularly in cities.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.