Take a tour of seven pandemics that gripped the world and altered the course of history. Pick one pandemic to study on its own, or enroll in all eight modules as a comprehensive course that will:Introduce you to the concept of public health; Contrast seven deadly diseases that greatly impacted world populations; Give you a big-picture understanding of the pandemic as a phenomenon The story of pandemics is the story of us—who we have been and who we are now as a human society. It’s a glimpse of our short-sightedness and failure, the illumination of our ingenuity, determination, and resilience, and a reminder of the precariousness of civilizations and stability itself. This is a course for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the moment we’re living in.
The Bubonic Plague (or “Black Death”) ravaged much of the Mediterranean, all of Europe, West and North Africa, and parts of the Middle East in the 14th century, killing 25-75% of the population. Plague is a zoonotic disease; in this case the bacterium Yersinia pestis was carried by fleas who fed on rats, who then introduced it to humans. Once infected, characteristic inflamed lymph nodes called buboes appeared on the body, accompanied by high fevers and the spewing of blood. Lacking scientific knowledge, the best analysts of the 14th and 15th centuries suspected the Bubonic Plague was caused by the environmental condition of “bad air,” astrological alignments, or that it was a divine, if wrathful, response to collective human sin.
Bubonic Plague still exists today, but with the advent of modern medicine, can be treated with antibiotics and supportive care. This course delves into the factual history of the Black Death, and at the same time frames the crisis as a way of understanding how broader societies and cultures shift, survive, and evolve.
The instructor will provide an overview of origins, causes, and effects of the Bubonic Plague in late-15th century Europe.