Black Daith

The Black Daith wis ane o the maist devastating pandemics in human history, resultin in the daiths o an estimatit 75 tae 200 million fowk in Eurasie an peakin in Europe in the years 1346–1353.^[1][2][3] Awtho thare war several competin theories as tae the etiology o the Black Daith, analyses o DNA frae victims in northren an soothren Europe published in 2010 an 2011 indicates that the pathogen responsible wis the Yersinia pestis bacterium, probably causin several forms o plague.^[4][5]

The Black Daith is thocht tae hae oreeginatit in the dry plains o Central Asie, whaur it traivelled alang the Silk Road, reachin Crimea bi 1343.^[6] Frae there, it wis maist likely cairied bi Oriental ratton flechs leevin on the black rats that war regular passengers on merchand ships, spreidin ootthrou the Mediterranean Basin an Europe.

The Black Daith is estimatit tae hae killt 30–60% o Europe's tot population.^[7] In tot, the plague mey hae reduced the warld population frae an estimatit 450 million doun tae 350–375 million in the 14t century.^[8] It teuk 200 years for the warld population tae rekiver tae its previous level.^[9][10] The plague recurred as ootbraks in Europe till the 19t century.