12 Questions
When an ______ spreads beyond a country’s borders, the disease officially becomes a pandemic.
epidemic
It was the shift to ______ life, about 10,000 years ago, which created communities that made epidemics possible.
agrarian
The earliest recorded ______ happened during the Peloponnesian War, in Athens in 430 BC.
pandemic
The disease, suspected to have been ______ fever, weakened the Athenians significantly and was a crucial factor in their defeat by the Spartans.
typhoid
The Antonine plague, which started in 165 AD, was possibly an early appearance of ______.
smallpox
And then returning Roman troops spread it throughout the Roman ______.
Empire
Leprosy, though it had been around for ______, grew into a proper pandemic in Europe in the Middle Ages.
ages
The Black Death entered Europe through ______ in 1347 AD, when people with the plague arrived in the port of Messina from the Far East.
Sicily
Today, leprosy is also called ______'s disease.
Hansen’s
The plague caused ______ bodies to become so prevalent that many were not buried, creating a constant stench in European cities.
dead
The British ______ system collapsed as a result of the plague dramatically changing economic circumstances and demographics.
feudal
The Vikings lost the ______ to wage battle against native populations, and their exploration of North America came to a halt.
manpower
Study Notes
Pandemics Throughout History
- A pandemic occurs when an epidemic spreads beyond a country's borders.
- The shift to agrarian life around 10,000 years ago created communities that made epidemics possible, leading to the emergence of diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, influenza, smallpox, and others.
The Earliest Recorded Pandemic
- The earliest recorded pandemic occurred during the Peloponnesian War in Athens in 430 BC, killing up to two-thirds of the population.
- Symptoms of the disease, suspected to be typhoid fever, included fever, thirst, sore throat and tongue, red skin, and lesions.
- The disease significantly weakened the Athenians and contributed to their defeat by the Spartans.
The Antonine Plague
- The Antonine plague, which started in 165 AD, was possibly an early appearance of smallpox.
- It spread from the Huns to the Germans and then to the Romans, and eventually throughout the Roman Empire.
- Symptoms included fever, sore throat, diarrhea, and skin sores if the patient lived long enough.
- The plague continued until around 180 AD, claiming Emperor Marcus Aurelius as one of its victims.
Leprosy Pandemic in Europe
- Leprosy, a slow-developing bacterial disease causing sores and deformities, grew into a pandemic in Europe during the Middle Ages.
- The disease was believed to be a punishment from God that ran in families, leading to moral judgments and stigmatization of its victims.
- Today, leprosy still affects tens of thousands of people annually and can be fatal if not treated with antibiotics.
The Black Death
- The Black Death entered Europe in 1347 AD through Sicily, spreading rapidly throughout Europe.
- The plague decimated populations, leading to a collapse of the British feudal system, and facilitating a truce in the Hundred Years War between England and France.
- The Vikings lost the manpower to wage battle against native populations, and their exploration of North America came to a halt.
Explore the origins of infectious diseases and how they spread beyond borders, becoming pandemics. Learn about the evolution of diseases from hunter-gatherer days to modern civilisation.
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