Plague of Justinian
The Plague of Justinian or Justinianic Plague (541-549 AD) was the first major outbreak of the first plague pandemic, the first Old World pandemic of plague, the contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In 2013, researchers confirmed that Yersinia pestis was the same bacterium responsible for the Black Death. Ancient and modern Yersinia pestis strains closely related to the ancestor of the Justinian plague strain have been found in the Tian Shan, a system of mountain ranges on the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and China, suggesting that the Justinian plague originated in or near that region. Some scholars believe that the plague killed up to 5,000 people per day at the paek of the pandemic.
Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Afro-Eurasia from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing the death of 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351. Black Death was beginning of the second plague pandemic. The pandemic originated either in Central Asia or East Asia but its first definitive appearance was in Crimea in 1347. The Black Death was the second great natural disaster to strike Europe during the Late Middle Ages (the first one being the Great Famine of 1315–1317) and is estimated to have killed 30 percent to 60 per cent of the European population. The plague might have reduced the world population from c. 475 million to 350–375 million in the 14th century. According to historian Geoffrey Parker, “France alone lost almost a million people to the plague in the epidemic of 1628–31.” In the first half of the 17th century, a plague claimed some 1.7 million victims in Italy. More than 1.25 million deaths resulted from the extreme incidence of plague in 17th-century Spain.
Plague of London
The Great Plague of London, lasting from 1665 to 1666, was the last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England. It happened within the centuries-long Second Pandemic, a period of intermittent bubonic plague epidemics that originated in Central Asia in 1331 (the first year of the Black Death), included related diseases such as pneumonic and plague, which lasted till 1750. The Great Plague killed an estimated 100,000 people—almost a quarter of London’s population—in 18 months. The plague was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, which is usually transmitted through the bite of a human flea or louse. The 1665–66 epidemic was on a much smaller scale than the earlier Black Death pandemic. It became known afterwards as the “great” plague mainly because it was the last widespread outbreak of bubonic plague in England during the 400-year Second Pandemic.
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980. The risk of death after contracting the disease was about 30%, with higher rates among babies. Often those who survived had extensive scarring of their skin, and some were left blind. Symptoms of the disease includes fever and vomiting, followed by formation of ulcers in the mouth and a skin rash. After a few days, the skin rash turned into fluid-filled blisters with dent in the centre. The bumps then scabbed over and fell off, leaving scars. Smallpox spread between people or through contaminated objects. It is prevented manly through vaccine. In 1796, Edward Jenner introduced the modern smallpox vaccine. Smallpox is one of the two infectious diseases to have been eradicated.
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhoea that lasts a few days. Cholera is spread mostly by contaminated water and unsafe food with human faeces containing the bacteria. Human is the only mammal affected by the disease. Prevention methods include improved sanitisation and access to clean water. Cholera vaccines that are given by mouth provide reasonable protection for about six months. Cholera affects an estimated 3–5 million people worldwide and causes 28,800–130,000 deaths a year. Although it is classified as a pandemic as of 2010, it is rare in high income countries. Children are mostly affected. Areas with an ongoing risk of disease include Africa and Southeast Asia.
