Cause of the big plague epidemic of Middle Ages identified

PhysOrg.com ^ | October 11, 2010 | NA

[neverdem]

Distinct Clones of Yersinia pestis Caused the Black Death

[LukeL]

A little know fact, the Jews living in Europe during this time had very low infection rates and as a result were blamed for the plague itself.

The reason for their low infection rate was that they followed the health laws spelled out in Leviticus, mainly the practice of quarintine, washing with running water, burning of items that touched a sick person, and burying of human waste.

[neverdem]

micro ping

[Smokin' Joe]

mainly the practice of quarintine, washing with running water, burning of items that touched a sick person, and burying of human waste

AKA, hygiene...now a lost art among many.

[Spktyr]

Not to mention that the Jews didn’t make the mistake of killing off the cats which killed the transport mechanism of the plague - rats.

[Tainan]

Happy News about the Black Plague!

[gusopol3]

What’s your guess about the persistence of viral pathogens in an archaeologic site ? Just a few days at most? (I mean from the time of burial, like small pox)

[Jimmy Valentine]

There is an excellent book on the Plague called"Justinian's Flea" which indicates that the plague came in grain ships from Egypt (and further south) and hit Constantinople and spread from there.

It seems counter intuitive that the cold weather countries would nurture a flea carried pest in such numbers.

[arthurus]

Quarantine.

[SatinDoll]

Norwegian rats were supposedly the carrier in northern Europe, because they tended to be the rodents that hitched rides on ships.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Just a few days at most? (I mean from the time of burial, like small pox)

I believe I have seen articles of flu virii being recovered from bodies that died in the 1918 flu pandemic. These bodies were recovered from Alaskan burial sites, so the longevity results may not reflect other geographical locations.

[Wonder Warthog]

"It seems counter intuitive that the cold weather countries would nurture a flea carried pest in such numbers."

Norwegian rats....tough critters. Have spread virtually worldwide on ocean shipping.

[Red Badger]

Norwegian rats....tough critters. Have spread virtually worldwide on ocean shipping.

Norwegian rats were supposedly the carrier in northern Europe, because they tended to be the rodents that hitched rides on ships.

I bet they were Lutheran...............

[jim_trent]

bump

[Fractal Trader]

ping

[James C. Bennett]

The reason for their low infection rate was that they followed the health laws spelled out in Leviticus, mainly the practice of quarintine, washing with running water, burning of items that touched a sick person, and burying of human waste.

Living in ghettos with social isolation from the rest, is one way to pose a hurdle to invading contagious diseases.

[bitt]

*

[neverdem]

What’s your guess about the persistence of viral pathogens in an archaeologic site ? Just a few days at most? (I mean from the time of burial, like small pox)

Not being a virologist, I have to wonder. Usually, they are just a genetic core of DNA or RNA covered by a capsid of glycoprotein. They might be able to persist indefinitely. The only thing they have to do is reproduce. That's why they hijack their host's genetic "machinery." They don't need energy to do any cellular housework of their own.

[raybbr]

[SuziQ]

I think I read that the Jewish practice of cleaning out their grain storage during their religious holidays also helped to reduce the possibility of rats getting into it, then reproducing.