It was long assumed that the Black Death originated in China, but new research shows that it began in the spring of 1346 in the steppe region, where a plague reservoir stretches from the north-western shores of the Caspian Sea into southern Russia. People occasionally contract plague there even today. (Benedictow). During this period, this area of land was under the rule of the Mongol khanate of the Golden Horde. The spread of the plague in fact began with an attack that the Mongols launched on the Italian merchants' last trading station in the region, Kaffa (today Feodosiya) in the Crimea. In the autumn of 1346, the plague broke out among the surrounding forces of the mongolos and from them penetrated into the town. When spring arrived, the Italians fled on their ships. (Benedictow). Unsuspecting to the ships occupants, the Black Death boarded along with them and went along for the journey.
The spread of the disease was fascilitated by rodents but mainly rats. Rats were particularly dangerous amplifying hosts because of their natural close association to humans and the ability of their blood to with stand enourmous concentrarions of the bacteria. ( McCormick). Once the rats died from the disease, their fleas were forced to find new blood, this included humans. The fleas would then pass on the rats' bacteria infested blood to their new hosts.
Works Cited:
Benedictow, Ole J. “ The Black Death.” History Today; Mar2005, Vol. 55 Issue 3.
McCormick, Michael. Rats, Communications, and Plague: Toward an Ecological History. Journal of Interdisciplinary History; Summer2003, Vol. 34 Issue 1
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