The Black Death
Short History Of...
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What Is the Black Death?
From 541 until 549 AD, what became known as the Justinian Plague wreaked havoc across swathes of the known world. This was the first plague pandemic, and there were further outbreaks over the next two centuries, killing millions. So why is the Black Death different? It's likely that the plague itself has mutated. Improved agriculture has seen an explosion in the European population in recent decades. A spate of poor harvests more recently has led to widespread malnutrition. There are more people living closer together in unsanitary urban environments. Another vital factor in the rapid spread of the plague is the way the trading ships now connect the world like never before.
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