00:00Ever wondered how a tiny bacterium brought an entire continent to its knees?
00:04Let's travel back to the mid-14th century to uncover the story of the Black Death.
00:08This devastating pandemic was caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis,
00:13and it began its deadly journey in Asia.
00:15Riding along bustling trade routes,
00:17it hitched a ride on fleas that infested the rats aboard merchant ships.
00:21In 1347, it made its terrifying European debut in the Sicilian port of Messina.
00:26The symptoms were horrific, high fever, chills,
00:30and the infamous swollen, blackened lumps known as buboes.
00:33In just five years, the plague claimed an estimated 25 million lives,
00:38wiping out nearly a third of Europe's population.
00:41This catastrophic event didn't just cause immense suffering.
00:44It shattered society, crippled the feudal system,
00:46and led to profound social and religious upheaval.
00:49It's a stark reminder of how history can be shaped by the smallest of organisms.
Comments