“Maybe a 10% death rate.”
I disagree. Placed into historical context some bacterial infections had a localized death rate of 100%.
I consider the Black Death as a good comparison of what primitive practices and procedures did to exacerbate illness. Like typhoid (salmonella) Yersinia pestis is a bacteria pathogen where living conditions, customs and underlying health greatly magnified mortality. People who survived the Black Death, such as those Nostradamus nursed, were usually fed a balanced diet, not bled and kept warm. In some cases of high mortality the common responses were to bleed the patient, place them outside, bathe them in ice water, inhale incense or smoke, etc.
The absence of modern resources is what caused great mortality imo. Historical death rates are chiefly the product of living conditions, diet and medical treatment more than the strength of the bacteria. Many of the plagues occurred during times of bad harvests where food was scarce. People already week from hunger were often denied food once sick (saved for the living).
Ahhh it just clicked in my head when I started reading that wiki article.
hantavirus IS a Hemorrhagic fever so that would explain the buboes and bleeding from the orifices as well as easy transmission if it mutated just a little. As MeanTexan pointed out it’s natural in the region.
And to Justa on how certain conditions make humans more ripe for epidemics. There is also some theories how epidemics can make humans more fit…in the long term.
One theory is the Black Death strengthened Europeans by basically culling the weak. Research shows most who survived it had more education, property and wealth (all signs of intelligence). Of course weak individuals are more likely to die from any disease. Several seemingly unrelated factors seem to back this theory up:
1. military might/mongols. They had been unstoppable but after the last few big outbreaks of bubonic plague Europe repelled them and Russia even started conquering the hordes.
2. The Renaissance. Began almost immediately after the big waves.
3. Expansion. Europeans started conquering well…everyone everywhere.
4. Reformation (religious and political systems) began not long after
Etc.
Some like James Burke explained it in his excellent TV series “Connections” in these elaborate connected series of events. Such as: mass deaths caused wealth to be concentrated into fewer hands, enabled more spending which stimulated the economy leading to lassie faire trading which promoted democratic principles, millions of dead also left their clothes which had to be used ..somehow. So they naturally thought of making paper with it which led to the printing machine which led to universities which led…Ummm whew , get it?
OR As Occam’s Razor would direct the simplest explanation is almost always right: The Black Death culled Europe’s population leaving the survivors smarter, tougher and more expansionist. Which by the way said effects seems to have ran out of steam looking at Europe today.
“I disagree. Placed into historical context some bacterial infections had a localized death rate of 100%.”
Yes, but not S. paratyphi.
“I consider the Black Death as a good comparison of what primitive practices and procedures did to exacerbate illness.”
It is not appropriate to compare the pathogenicity or mortality of Y. pestis and S. enterica paratyphi. Especially when there is no way to compare increased mortality due to living conditions, diet or treatments between England in the 1500s and the Aztecs. In the absence of facts this argument cannot be definitively resolved and becomes a matter of opinion.