Impact of the Black Death

The Black Death resulted in:

• Decreased economy
• Peasant revolts
• Doubt in the Church and God
• Room for medical advancement

http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/black-death3.htm

http://www.ourprg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Thetriumphofdeath.jpg

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What is the Black Death?

The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, wiped out about one-third of Europe's population during the Late Middle Ages.  It is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis, which is a type of bacteria carried by rats.  Fleas transferred the bacteria from rats to humans, by contracting the bacteria and then biting humans.

Symptoms include flu-like symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Headache
• Chills
• Weakness

The main symptom was the "buboes" which were swollen, tender lymph nodes.

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=141316#bubonic

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Symptoms_of_bubonic_plague.svg

http://www.skinsight.com/images/dx/webAtlas/bubonicPlague_45241_lg.jpg

http://www.cdc.gov/plague/faq/#risk

What is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever?

Ebola is rare and often deadly disease named after the virus that causes the infection.  Ebolavirus is a member of the Filoviridae family which includes five different species of Ebola, four of which can successfully infect humans. The current 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa is the largest in recorded history as well as the first major outbreak of Ebola that this region of Africa has seen.  The Ebolavirus was not discovered until 1976 making it a relatively new type of infection.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001339.htm

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

http://www.healthline.com/health/ebola-hemorrhagic-fever#Overview1

Transmission and Symtoms of Ebola

Ebola is transmitted from to human through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, urine, sweat, vomit, breast milk, semen etc.  The virus origin has been detected in fruit bats, monkeys, and apes, and is then transmitted to humans via the same means of bodily fluids. This is similar to transmission of the Black Plague from fleas and rats.

Symptoms of Ebola appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. In most cases symptoms appear after about a week. Symptoms may include: fever, extreme headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Comparing Symptoms

Both these diseases start out with flu-like symptoms (Fever, vomiting, headaches, muscle aches, etc…). Overtime, however, more distinguishable symptoms begin to develop. The most well known symptom of the Black Death is the formation of buboes. Buboes are lymph nodes that become infected and swollen. As the disease progresses, the infection will travel to other areas of the body. Eternal bleeding will occur at these affected areas, causing dark patches of skin.

As for Ebola, bleeding also occurs. Toward the end stages of the illness, an affected person will begin to bleed uncontrollably out of their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. 

Sources

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001339.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/plague_facts/article.htm

http://www.healthline.com/health/plague#Overview1

Treating the Black Death in the Middle Ages

Since doctors had minimal knowledge about this disease, some methods were barbaric.  Treatment  methods include:

• Bed rest
• Washing patient with vinegar and rose water
• Cutting the buboes open and applying a mixture of tree resin, roots of white lilies and human feces
• Cutting veins leading to the heart and applying a mixture made of clay and violets
• Eating a bland diet of bread, fruit and vegetables as opposed to smelly foods like meat, fish and cheese
• An oral medicine made of roasted, ground up, freshly laid egg shells, chopped up leaves and petals of marigolds, boiled in ale. The patient drank this mixture once in the morning and once at night
• A live hen was strapped to one of the buboes to "suck out the disease" and urine was to be drank twice a day
• Beating themselves in order to repent for their sins (thought God was angry with humanity)

Prevention methods include:

• Sanitizing streets by burning human waste and infected dead bodies
• Turning away potentially infected ships coming into ports
• Quarantining infected patients
• No bathing
• No excercising
• No eating pork

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/cures_for_the_black_death.htm

http://www.gohistorygo.com/#!black-plague-in-europe/c1c4q

Treating Bubonic Plague Today

• A doctor will diagnose the bubonic plague based on:
• Presence of buboes
• Fluid taken from the buboes and tested
• Blood test
• Fluid sample taken from lungs
• Patient will be isolated and given antibacterial drugs including:
• Gentamycin
• Doxycycline
• Ciprofloxacin

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175008/Man-narrowly-develops-BUBONIC-PLAGUE-narrowly-escapes-death-cat-bite.html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plague/basics/definition/con-20021610

Diagnosis and Treatment of Ebola

Ebola is detected through a blood test; however, only after certain symptoms have become fully evident in a patient.  The problem with this is that the general lack of knowledge and resources in West Africa are helping the virus to continue spreading. West Africa is very underdeveloped and therefore clinical care is not readily available to communities so infected people remain untreated and continue to transmit the infection to everyone around them. Some people even flee healthcare workers because they believe Ebola is a plot to intentionally infect and kill a mass population of Africans. Similar problems arose in early modern Europe because an effective treatment did not exist to combat the Black Plague and people believed it was the direct work of the devil or demonic beings.

Drugs and antivirals of all kinds are ineffective combating the Ebola virus.  Treatment merely consists of pain-management, control of fever, vomiting, bleeding, and diarrhea, and ensuring the body is nourished with necessary nutrients, electrolytes, and fluids.

"Ministry of health RN carries medical supplies to makeshift clinic"

Sierra Leone, Africa

"The body of a man thought to have died of Ebola on a Monrovia, Liberia street on Monday. The Liberian president has implored President Obama to do more." -NY Times

Comparing Treatments

Even though medicine has vastly improved since the Middle Ages, the treatments of the two diseases are comparable. During the Middle Ages, a designated treatment for the Bubonic Plague was unknown. Similarly, specific medications or vaccinations have not yet been determined to cure Ebola. In both cases, doctors instead focused on the symptoms.

Ebola is also similar to the Black Death in regards to the segregation of affected patients from the general population. During the Middle Ages, families were so afraid of contracting the Bubonic Plague that they abandoned their loved ones. By the time the disease had became more prevalent, cities had ordered quarantine. In regard to Ebola today, 35 hospitals in the US are dedicated as Ebola treatment centers. In some areas, especially in underdeveloped countries, patients are being cared for in isolation tents. 

In each of the situations, doctors and caretakers also had to take precautionary measures. Medieval doctors tried to shield themselves from the Plague by wearing a protective suit. Their suits consisted of a waxy coat (similar to a raincoat), gloves, boots, and a bird-like mask. The mask had glass inserts to protect the eyes and a long beak filled with herbs and spices to prevent the doctor from inhaling the disease. They would avoid touching patients and instead use a cane. Doctors who treat Ebola also have protective clothing called Tyvek Suits. They are one piece and highly insulated. People who have worn these suits have described it as being in a steam room.

Sources

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/26666359/fact-sheet-ebola-how-its-spread-symptoms-  treatment http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection?page=4

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/cures_for_the_black_death.htm

http://www.healthline.com/health/plague#Symptoms4

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2014pres/12/20141202b.html

Control and Impact of Ebola in West Africa

In an attempt to control the spread of Ebola infected patients are quarantined and urged to avoid human to human contact at all costs. Family members of infected patients should not touch the person, share drinking cups, or clean up any bodily fluids such as vomit, urine, or diarrhea.  As the Black Plague became increasingly uncontrollable people in early modern Europe began exiling anyone infected, essentially identical to the concept of quarantining.

Quarantining and taking infected patients away from their villages to clinics is currently putting a strain on families and friends.  Kids are being left without parents, parents without kids; and even when patients survive and recover, neighbors and friends treat them differently upon returning home.

The Center for Disease Control has recorded the following recent statistics:

Comparing The Cause and Spread

The Bubonic Plague is caused by bacterium, while Ebola caused by viruses. The Bubonic plague is more mobile than the Ebola virus. This is because the disease is carried by rats and can be transmitted by fleas. Ebola does not have a vector; it is spread by projected body fluids from an infected person. The plague can also be airborne, in which the bacteria can affect the lungs. The Ebola virus is not airborne.

Sources

http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-similarities-and-differences-between-the-Ebola-epidemic-taking-place-now-and-the-Black-Death-pandemic-in-the-14th-century