London Plague

The London Plague, often referring to the Black Death in the 14th century, was a devastating outbreak of bubonic plague that swept through London and Europe around 1348-1350. Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, it was transmitted primarily through fleas living on rats. The disease spread rapidly, causing fever, weakness, and large swollen buboes. It drastically reduced the population, killing an estimated one-third to half of Europe’s people. The plague had profound social, economic, and cultural impacts, leading to labor shortages, changes in societal structures, and advances in public health practices.