In the first part, I described the Gram-negative bacillus Yersinia pestis as the etiological agent of human and animal disease; in part deux, I detailed the three major plague pandemics that have devastated human civilization many a times – the modern incarnation of which, complete with medical and epidemiological records, is known to have been caused by Yersinia pestis. In this third and final part, let me tell you about the ancient pandemics.
Tag: Plague pandemic
Humankind’s encounters with plagues are steeped in antiquity, although not all of them implicate the plague bacterium. Allow me take you through the historical mentions.
The first known use of the noun ‘plague’ occurred in the 14th century, according to The Merriam-Webster. The word has Latin, Old High German and Greek roots, all of which point to tragedy, lamentation, and curse. In modern English, the severity of the word has become diluted somewhat; it is now also used to depict unwelcome, nuisance events or mild disturbances. But it is important not to be unmindful of the disaster, the destruction, the calamity – untold misery and suffering of countless people, that this word came to represent during certain periods of human history.
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