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Black Death ?

Steve

Well-known member
Just in case you are not scared enough!

Was Ebola Behind the Black Death?
L O N D O N, July 30
By Jen Sterling

Controversial new research suggests that contrary to the history books, the "Black Death" that devastated medieval Europe was not the bubonic plague, but rather an Ebola-like virus.

History books have long taught the Black Death, which wiped out a quarter of Europe's population in the Middle Ages, was caused by bubonic plague, spread by infected fleas that lived on black rats. But new research in England suggests the killer was actually an Ebola-like virus transmitted directly from person to person.

The Black Death killed some 25 million Europeans in a devastating outbreak between 1347 and 1352, and then reappeared periodically for more than 300 years. Scholars had thought flea-infested rats living on ships brought the disease from China to Italy and then the rest of the continent.

In their new book Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historical Populations, Duncan and Scott compare the signs and symptoms of the Black Death with modern-day viruses such as the Spanish flu, the West Nile virus and, most closely, Ebola.

Medieval descriptions of the Black Death sound like the hemorrhagic fever caused by an Ebola-like virus, the authors say. Such fever strikes fast and causes blood vessels to burst underneath the skin, bringing out welts, similar to what British medical texts from the Middle Ages describe as "God's tokens."

The liquidization of internal organs that causes excruciating pain in Ebola victims matches the descriptions of historical autopsies on plague victims, which similarly describe internal organs being dissolved along with the appearance of a black liquid

Ebola is getting news attention not because of the numbers.. but in the low rate of survival of the infected..

the common Flu kills far more every year then ebola.. Ebola shouldn't be such a huge concern if number of deaths was the concern..
 

Steve

Well-known member
Duncan and Scott also note that efforts to quarantine the Black Death were successful. In the wake of the first outbreak, Europeans learned that quarantining infected families for 40 days was effective in stopping the spread. Such a measure would not have worked if the disease were transmitted by rats, the authors suggest, because rats do not observe quarantines.

Also, the 40-day period was enough time to ensure the disease finished its incubation period. One of the difficulties in controlling the Ebola virus is that its symptoms start to appear only about five to 22 days after exposure. Therefore people who appear perfectly healthy could be carrying the lethal disease.

oh by the way does anyone know the origins of the word quarantine ?
 

TexasBred

Well-known member
Steve said:
Ebola is getting news attention not because of the numbers.. but in the low rate of survival of the infected..

the common Flu kills far more every year then ebola.. Ebola shouldn't be such a huge concern if number of deaths was the concern..

If people from the affected areas keep relocating all over the world via plane, ship or whatever it could easily become a worldwide problem very quickly.
 

Brad S

Well-known member
Once there is a Ebola carrier in Mexico or Latin America or South America, we will face an epidemic in the US that at the very least will cripple our health care system. Most likely the economy will follow.
 

Mike

Well-known member
Brad S said:
Once there is a Ebola carrier in Mexico or Latin America or South America, we will face an epidemic in the US that at the very least will cripple our health care system. Most likely the economy will follow.

Yep, and don't think the radical muslims aren't watching the effect of the one case there in Dallas.

This, along with the Enterovirus going around is creating havoc already.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Wait until flu season...everybody will be overloading the system, with fears of both viruses.

"overloading the system"...sounds like Cloward-Piven Hmmmmm?
 

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