As the novel corona virus continues its rampage across the globe, we have seen death, devastation and despair. We have been glued to our television screens for the latest updates, information and what not! This has led to a surge in exposure to medical terminology. Let us understand the basic know-how everyone should have in view of how pandemics have wreaked havoc around the world. This episode will be a two part series.
Before we begin, what exactly is a pandemic, you might ask.
A pandemic is an epidemic occurring over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries, and usually affecting a large number of people.
Then what is an epidemic?
The occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness or other health related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy.
The first plague pandemic to be recorded in the annals of history is the Plague of Justinian. It occurred during the reign of Justinian I, hence the name. This pandemic was estimated to have led to the death of half of the existing population of Europe at that time.
The second plague pandemic shook the world in the fourteenth century, peaking during the mid-1300s. It was only referred to as the Black Death, a few centuries later. Europe at that time was surrounded by despair; following the footsteps of the Great Famine of 1331 was this Pestilence which already started playing the tune of death in China, India, Syria and Mesopotamia before making its way to Europe. It is estimated that this pandemic took the lives of 75 – 200 million people.
How exactly did Plague make its way to Europe?
The Mongol Army of Jani Beg, tried to siege Kaffa, a port city of Crimea but was unsuccessful. Plague spread through his army and as a final attempt at war, Jani Beg catapulted into the city, the plague infested corpses to spread the infection. The Genoese trading ships from Kaffa carried forward this spread to Italy and then the rest of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa. Plague continued to be a menace through the years in Europe thereafter causing multiple outbreaks, the most notable among them was the Great Plague of London in 1665. The Second Plague pandemic persisted in Europe for centuries though it is never clearly specified on what put an end to it.
The third plague pandemic originated in China in the mid-19th century and spread to India. It snatched the lives of around 10 million people in India alone. This led to the establishment of centers for Public Health. The pathogen which caused this pandemic was widely investigated by a group of scientists who visited Hong Kong, among whom was the bacteriologist, Alexandre Yersin, after whom the bacteria was named.
Measures in Public Health –
The second plague pandemic marked the beginning of the term-Quarantine. The concept of quarantine – separating the sick from the healthy was recorded way back in the 7th century in the Biblical book of Leviticus and in the teachings of Prophet Muhammed. The birth of the term quarantine occurred during the plague pandemic. As an effort of containment of the Plague, the authorities of the city-state of Ragusa, Dalmatia (in Croatia) restricted newcomers to uninhabited islands for a period of 30 days-a trentine- to see if they develop the symptoms of Plague. This period was later extended to 40 days giving rise to the name-quarantine. The picture above shows the Lazarettos of Dubrovnik which were located 300 meters away from the city walls and housed the people under quarantine.
Impact on the Society –
The art and literature turned macabre, resounding the plight of the people through these repeated outbreaks. Many people believed that they were being punished by the Gods whereas some others blamed the Jews, foreigners, lepers among others for spreading the disease. Anti-Semitism was rampant. Jews were burnt to death. Fear gripped the masses due to the rising death tolls. Economic fluctuations were seen as well.
Theories behind the outbreak: Then and Now
Miasma Theory – Records show that this theory was assumed to be the basis for plague. The Miasmatic theory states that diseases such as Cholera, Chlamydia and Black Death were caused by miasma (which is formed from rotting organic matter), a noxious form of bad air.
Modern theory – Changes in the climate throughout Asia, led to the rodents to migrate to more populated areas. These rodents might have been infested with infected rat flea leading which led to the spread of disease.
This topic is continued in the next part.
References -
https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/origins/spread.php
Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine by K. Park – Page no. 101
Image Credits -
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/08/18/542435991/those-iconic-images-ofthe-plague-thats-not-theplague?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprn ews&utm_content=20170818?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaig n=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170818
All other images have been taken from Pinterest.
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