The Black Death is not a relic of the past

History · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We often think of the bubonic plague as a finished chapter of medieval history. However, this bacterium remains active in our modern world. Understanding how we once faced this killer—and how we fight it today—reveals a striking continuity between the fourteenth century and the present day.

The fourteenth century witnessed one of the most devastating biological catastrophes in human history. Between 1346 and 1353, the Black Death swept through Europe, claiming more than 25 million lives. This loss represented approximately two-thirds of the European population at the time. The spread was driven by rats traveling on ships, carrying the fleas that host the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The name 'Black Death' itself stems from the visible effects of the disease, specifically the blackened tissue caused by gangrene in many victims.

The disease manifests in several forms depending on how the infection takes hold. The bubonic plague is characterized by buboes—swollen lymph nodes in the neck, groin, or armpit that can grow as large as eggs and ooze pus. If the infection spreads through the entire body, it becomes septicemic plague, while an infection of the lungs results in pneumonic plague. During the medieval era, no cure existed for these devastating symptoms.

Contrary to the myth that the plague has been eradicated, Yersinia pestis still exists and causes infections globally, including in Africa, Asia, and South America. Even in the United States, the plague persists, with an average of about seven cases reported annually. These modern cases are often concentrated in specific regions, such as parts of the American West including Northern New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Nevada. While the terror of the medieval era was inescapable, modern medicine has a significant advantage: antibiotics can now treat the bubonic form of the infection.

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