“The disease apparently began in Central Asia. In 1347, Italian merchant ships returned from the Black Sea, one of the links along the trade route between Europe and China. The ships were dirty and infested with rats. Fleas living on the blood of infected rats transmitted the disease to sailors.” (Dowling, 2013) The disease appeared in two varieties, one transmitted by insect bites and another transmitted by air. In both cases, victims very rarely lasted more than three or four days between the underlying infection and death, a period of intense fever and vomiting during which their lymph nodes swelled uncontrollably and eventually burst. The Black Death was one of the most ruthless pandemics in human history. history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75-200 million people and culminating in Europe in 1348-50. People's lack of knowledge about how it spread played a major role in the Black Death that wiped out half of Europe's population. Cargo ships carrying rats, fleas, and other animals infected with bubonic plague came from Central Asia along the Silk Road. The ships eventually reached Europe, and their deadly cargo began to spread excessively across the continent, initially affecting tiny numbers but soon reaching hundreds of thousands and eventually millions. The Black Death had a major impact on society. Entire village populations suffered from malnutrition. Towns and cities suffered from food shortages because surrounding villages could not provide them with adequate quantities of food. Those who did not die from the Black Death became convinced that there was something special about them, as if God had protected them. For this reason they took the opportunity given by the plague to improve their lifestyle. “...... half of the document ......d 1349. Thousands more fled to smaller, more populated regions or to Eastern Europe, where they could be relatively safe from the angry mobs in the cities. Works CitedDowling, Mike. “The Black Death on mrdowling.com.” www.mrdowling.com. Updated November 10, 2013. Web. Accessed December 6, 2013James, Tom. “Black Death: The Lasting Impact.” BBC News. BBC, 17 February 2011. Web. 09 December 2013. Whipps, Heather. "How the Black Death Changed the World." WordsSideKick.com. WordsSideKick.com, April 28, 2008. Web. December 09, 2013. Plowman, Piers. "The flow of history." The Black Death and its impact. The flow of history, 13 July 2010. Web. 08 December. 2013