Makayla Moon

The Black Death and Ebola

The legend of the Black Death began between the years of 1347 and 1352 which was centuries
and centuries before the recent outbreak of Ebola which was originally discovered in 1976 near
the Ebola River. At first, the Black Death was said to be contracted from infected fleas carried on
rats on trade ships back in the medieval times. With further research from skeletons that were
founds years later made scientist come to the conclusion that the Black Death had to be an
Ebola-like virus that was transmitted from person to person because of how fast it traveled from
country to country. The symptoms of both Ebola and the Black Death are exceptionally similar.
Both consist of fever, diarrhea, vomiting and unexplained hemorrhages. The Ebola virus is very
rare but can effect humans and human primates such as gorillas and monkeys. The Black Death
was said to be transmitted through coughs, sneezes and touch whereas Ebola is transferred
through blood or bodily fluids, objects such as needles of an infected person, other infected
primates and sex. In the time of the Black Death many people felt as if it was the wrath of God
and expected the end of the world. Both the Black Death and Ebola are similar in many different
ways but are caused by two different bacteria. The Black Death is linked with the Yersinia Pestis
bacteria and Ebola is related to a couple of different bacterias such as Ebola was said to be the
cause of the Black Death and not the plaque. The Black Death still infects several thousand
people every year around the world. The patients now have the ability to be treated with
antibiotics but with Ebola the cure is not as easy and is still extremely deadly.