You’ve Been Lied to About Rats and the Black Death

�ٲ��ʴǱ貹 — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 16:02:20 +0000

Rats have long been associated with and blamed for the spread of plague, a disease that has killed over 200 million people throughout the past two millennia. The Black Death, a bubonic plague pandemic, is estimated to have resulted in the death of nearly 50% of Europe’s 14th century population, making it one of the deadliest disease outbreaks in human history. However, emerging research suggests that rats may not have played a central role in the outbreak and transmission of plague.

The Word "Quarantine" Comes from the Italian Word "Forty Days"

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 18:07:55 +0000

The term derives from “quaranta giorni,” meaning 40 days, and traces back to the 14th century when the city of Dubrovnik, now in Croatia, was under Venetian rule. The Great Pestilence, or the Great Plague, as it was known at the time, was devastating Europe. As a form of protection, Dubrovnik declared that all ships and people had to be isolated for 40 days before entering the city.