Black Plague

The Black Plague, also called the Black Death, was a devastating pandemic in the 14th century caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It spread mainly through fleas that infested rats, and later through person-to-person contact via respiratory droplets. The disease caused severe symptoms like fever, chills, weakness, and painful swollen lymph nodes called buboes. It rapidly killed millions across Europe, Asia, and Africa, drastically reducing populations and impacting societies. Modern science understands it was a bacterial infection, and treatments now include antibiotics, but during the Middle Ages, it caused widespread fear, suffering, and significant social upheaval.