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Was Ebola Behind the Black Death?
ABC News ^ | July 30, 2014 | Jen Sterling

Posted on 10/01/2014 6:26:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Controversial new research suggests that contrary to the history books, the "Black Death" that devastated medieval Europe was not the bubonic plague, but rather an Ebola-like virus.

History books have long taught the Black Death, which wiped out a quarter of Europe's population in the Middle Ages, was caused by bubonic plague, spread by infected fleas that lived on black rats. But new research in England suggests the killer was actually an Ebola-like virus transmitted directly from person to person.

The Black Death killed some 25 million Europeans in a devastating outbreak between 1347 and 1352, and then reappeared periodically for more than 300 years. Scholars had thought flea-infested rats living on ships brought the disease from China to Italy and then the rest of the continent.

But researchers Christopher Duncan and Susan Scott of the University of Liverpool say that the flea-borne bubonic plague could not have torn across Europe the way the Black Death did....

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; History; Science
KEYWORDS: blackdeath; blackplague; bubonicplague; disease; ebola; epidemics; godsgravesglyphs; pandemics; sniffles; yersiniapestis
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They got controversial and stupid mixed up.


21 posted on 10/01/2014 7:21:04 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: ClearCase_guy
“mass graves from the 14th century and we find evidence that the disease then is the same disease as today”

What they often do not mention was the terrible lifestyle and habits.

Also with the fall of the Roman Empire, much of Europe lost clean running water and somewhat of a sewer system (among other things)

Europe lost those things and never recovered for a millennium. All things being equal (and they are not) just those two benefits of modern society help to prevent a repeat of the middle ages living situation.

Just the fact that the stores generally sell clean meats and fruits. Without running water and a sewage system that is not possible.

Relatively unlikely it would happen today.

22 posted on 10/01/2014 7:24:26 PM PDT by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS.. We are DOOMED for several generations. . Who cares? Dem's did and voted!)
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To: ClearCase_guy
You need to read the book Return of the Black Death by Scott & Duncan, it will change your mind. I read it several years ago and it really opened my eyes.
23 posted on 10/01/2014 7:33:29 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (NRA)
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To: SoCal Pubbie
SoCal I agree. But the overall condition of the population (health and living conditions wise) also contributed to the ease of any pandemic becoming critical.

The running water and sewer systems of Rome kept diseases down for several centuries.. when those ended Europe was at risk.

24 posted on 10/01/2014 7:34:57 PM PDT by JSteff (It was ALL about SCOTUS.. We are DOOMED for several generations. . Who cares? Dem's did and voted!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
There has been interesting DNA studies of survivors and non-survivors of the Black Death and that it weeded out certain peoples/families and left others who were more genetically resistant. In some of the bacteria-based studies I have seen they stated that people of African ancestry were more likely to come down with the disease than people of European ancestry as the disease had already done a Darwinian sweep of the European continent. If the Black Death was virus oriented or a major part of it, then some of the survivors may have had a genetic difference that allowed them to survive.
25 posted on 10/01/2014 7:37:29 PM PDT by Robert357 (D.Rather "Hoist with his own petard!" www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1223916/posts)
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To: SoCal Pubbie

I’ve read a number of articles citing evidence that the black death started out as bubonic plague but spread so widely and quickly because it became airborne (pneumonic plague) which is caused by the same bacteria but is far more virulent and kills its victims in a different manner.


26 posted on 10/01/2014 8:11:51 PM PDT by Bill93
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To: ClearCase_guy

Until it gets into the lungs. And I would wager that a lot died as a result back then.


27 posted on 10/01/2014 8:50:54 PM PDT by crz
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To: All

“New research”.

Wow, ABC. REALLY???

http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/viruses101/could_the_black_death_actually

From November 08, 2013.

The book cited in the article, Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historical Populations, was published in 2005.

http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Plagues-Evidence-Historical-Populations/dp/0521017769


28 posted on 10/01/2014 9:10:37 PM PDT by logi_cal869
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To: logi_cal869

Consider feces and food-landing flies as vectors vs rats... winged vectors have 100% speed transmission going for them.


29 posted on 10/01/2014 9:25:15 PM PDT by txhurl (2014: Stunned Voters do Stunning Things!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; ClearCase_guy

The source article refers to the pair as “researchers”, so I suspect they are not medical doctors.

They have a book out, so perhaps they are motivated by wanting sales of it.


30 posted on 10/02/2014 4:46:30 AM PDT by Bigg Red (31 May 2014: Obamugabe officially declares the USA a vanquished subject of the Global Caliphate.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Got your screen name wrong in my #30.


31 posted on 10/02/2014 4:47:46 AM PDT by Bigg Red (31 May 2014: Obamugabe officially declares the USA a vanquished subject of the Global Caliphate.)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
Thanks 2ndDivisionVet. Apparently they've not heard of Yersinia pestis.


32 posted on 10/08/2014 9:21:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: ClearCase_guy; shibumi
Obviously, the sheep are not panicking enough, just yet.

So, make crazy connections until they beg Big Brother to save them.

How long until Ebola is compared to Scarlet Fever?


33 posted on 10/09/2014 12:09:25 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

BP is already endemic in southwest rodents.

Somehow, we’ve all managed to survive.


34 posted on 10/09/2014 12:11:23 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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To: Adder

The mass extermination of “witches’ familiars” [aka cats and to a lesser extent, dogs] let the rats flourish.

More rats = more fleas.

Hysteria has teetering on the verge of a new Burning Time.


35 posted on 10/09/2014 12:14:00 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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To: Bill93; shibumi

Yersinia Pestis, either or, it’s still not Ebola.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis

This is the Powers That Be trying to whip us all into a new, fear-stricken frenzy.

I’m not playing.

Screw Hegel and the dialectic he rode in on.


36 posted on 10/09/2014 12:18:53 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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To: SoCal Pubbie; ClearCase_guy; 2ndDivisionVet; SunkenCiv; All

Bubonic plague has three different forms, each more rapidly fatal than the previous. Bubonic with the swollen bubos of the lymph glands that turn black; septecimic which is like general blood poisoning and more rapidly fatal, and pneumonic which is spread through the air and highly fatal. Probably the kind of cases that did not fit the rule.


37 posted on 10/09/2014 1:31:48 AM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: Salamander; Slings and Arrows
You know, there's a lot of misunderstanding about rats. ((The rodendus vermikitis as they're called in Latin.)

It turns out our long tailed friend wasn't after all responsible for the dreaded bubonic plague as alleged through history.

Yes, sir. It was caused by an animal called the bubon.

That's right, and the threat by the way is still with us. So if anyone does see a bubon, contact your local authorities.

(Historical data courtesy of the Cliff Clavin Institute for the Preservation of Vital Triviality.)

38 posted on 10/09/2014 2:42:19 AM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: shibumi

LOL


39 posted on 10/09/2014 3:06:01 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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To: shibumi
Even worse are the Beebos.


40 posted on 10/09/2014 3:07:11 AM PDT by Salamander (People will stare. Make it worth their while.)
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