The Plague Spread

The Plague was one of the worst sicknesses in history. The most famous outbreak was called the Black Death. It spread across Europe in the 1300s. The disease killed about one in every three people in Europe. It changed life for everyone who lived through it.

How It Spread

The Plague was carried by tiny fleas that lived on rats. When ships came to new cities, the rats came too. The fleas would bite people and make them sick. The disease spread very quickly from city to city. People did not understand what caused it at the time.

After the Plague

The Plague changed Europe in many ways. So many people died that there were not enough workers left. This meant that farmers and workers could ask for better pay. Doctors started to study sickness more carefully. The world slowly learned how to stop diseases from spreading.

Important Facts

• Plague doctors wore bird-shaped masks filled with herbs to try to stay safe.
• The Black Death arrived in Europe on ships in the year 1347.
• The nursery rhyme 'Ring Around the Rosie' may come from the time of the Plague.

Did You Know?

Today, doctors can cure the plague with medicine called antibiotics, so it is much less scary than it was hundreds of years ago.