In late autumn of 2014, the entire world was on high alert. Anyone, even Americans, who sought medical attention or wanted to travel was asked if they had recently been to West Africa. What caused this caution and anxiety? Had there been a terrorist attack, a suspicious uptick in human or drug trafficking, or suspicions of international jewel thieves? Actually, none of those events caused this particular reaction. It was due to the resurgence of a terrible disease called Ebola that was impacting people residing in Africa.

People were horrified and every nation reacted to this regional epidemic which threatened to become a pandemic. In reality, only a mere handful of people outside of Africa contracted Ebola. Although the events surrounding Ebola in 2014 marked a horrible tragedy, due to the proper reaction of authorities and medical communities, only one international traveler died of Ebola in the United States. In today's world, governments, doctors, and even the general public know more about preventing disease than the most established medical professionals of the Late Middle Ages. This would explain why, when the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, swept through Europe in the mid to late fourteenth century, it killed more than twenty million Europeans, or more than a third of the continent's population.

Essential Question

• What were the causes and effects of the fourteenth century bubonic plague pandemic?

 

Warm-Up

In recent years, you may have heard about pandemics of diseases like SARS, the H1N1 virus (swine flu), and cholera. At times, these pandemics impact the United States, but they last for only a few months or a few seasons. Conversely, these pandemics devastate various other regions of the world. Why do you think this happens? What resources or behaviors impact the spread of diseases? Create a graphic organizer like the one shown in the image to help sort through your thoughts.