Two Major Deadly Diseases in History Small Pox vs. Black Death

Two Major Deadly Diseases in History Small Pox vs. Black Death

Two Major Deadly Diseases in History Small Pox vs. Black Death
Through history we have found that there have been several diseases in which have come and gone like the wind. Although there have been numerous illnesses and diseases though out history, there have only been two that were disastrous. One of them was the Bubonic Plague also known as the Black Death. The plague struck all though out the world but was most devastating in Europe during the 1300s. Then came along was the Small Pox. This had swept through Mesoamerica and the Native Americans from about the 1500s to the 1900s. To understand how these two diseases had impacted the world in such a tremendous way you must understand these grim diseases.
Beginning with the Black Plague which “Researchers believe that the plague originated in central Asia, where the bacillus was endemic to the local rodent population, from there, it spread east to china, south to the Indian subcontinent, and west to Europe, the Middle East , and North Africa” (Thomas Sanders, Samuel H. Nelson, Stephen Morillo, & Nancy Ellenberger, 2006, p. 386). The Black Death was a severe infection of the lymphatic system caused by Pasteurella pestis. Pasteurella pestis was a bacillus carried by fleas that mainly thrived on the lives of animals and rodents, such as the black rat. The infection was caused by the bite of the flea. This was also the main way for it to be transferred from one animal or human to another.
Smallpox was also thought to of originated from Asia during the 1500s. Smallpox was introduced by the Native Americans during this time. What is Smallpox? “Smallpox is a contagious, disfiguring and often deadly disease caused by the variola virus. Smallpox is believed to have been around for thousands of years. Few other illnesses have had such a devastating effect on human health and history” (Mayoclinic.com. (1998-2010). Smallpox is a contagious infection caused by the variola virus. Smallpox can be deadly if...

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