The first pandemic began in the mid-500s …show more content…
They could not prevent its spread and had no effective treatments for those who suffered from it. Many people mistakenly believed it was caused by breathing foul air. The huge number of deaths caused panic, and many people tried desperate measures to save themselves. In Spain, France, and what is now Germany, people accused local Jewish communities of poisoning wells of spreading the disease. Thousands of Jews were killed in resulting massacres. Many people believed the plague was a punishment from God. In some regions, people whipped themselves in grotesque public processions to appease God’s anger.
The Black Death transformed European society. Consumers and skilled workers died by the thousands in cities, devastating some local economies. Labor shortages caused by high death tolls led to increased wages, attracting many peasants to the cities. Some rural villages simply disappeared. To control the spread of the disease, some European governments legislated important public health measures, such as quarantines. Eventually, many areas established public hospitals and permanent boards to help protect public health.
In 2011, when medical historians identified the cause of the Black Death, it was a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis causes three different kinds