Black Death: Origins, Transmission, and Impact

Black Death overview

The Black Death was a devastating plague pandemic that affected Eurasia and North Africa from approximately 1346 to 1353. It killed an estimated 25 to 50 million people, including roughly 30% to 60% of Europe’s population and about one-third of the Middle Eastern population. The disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which was primarily transmitted through infected flea bites, although pneumonic plague could spread through respiratory droplets and other forms through contact with infected tissues or fluids. The pandemic is commonly associated with the siege of Caffa in Crimea in 1347 and subsequently spread through trade routes and shipping across the Mediterranean, Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Although the precise geographic origin remains debated, genetic and archaeological evidence confirms that Yersinia pestis caused the outbreak. The Black Death produced profound demographic, economic, social, and cultural changes, contributing to labor shortages, economic disruption, population decline, and recurring plague outbreaks throughout the Late Middle Ages.

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Mortality and population loss

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