Our world has been hit by two global pandemics. The "Black Death" in the 1300's and the influenza outbreak of 1918. Both came fast, killed many people, spread fast and went away quickly. One of the children's nursery rhymes we sing today originated from the Black Death. Its called "Ring around the Rosie", people sang this when others died. The pocket full of posies meant that if the air they smelled was good they wouldn't get the plaque. I believe that one or both of these sicknesses could come back today. Possibly a new one could come.
Scientists say that diseases or sicknesses that spread from animals to humans can turn very dangerous, Such as the Black Death. This originated in china in fleas that lived on rats. It was spread through the trading routes throughout Europe and Asia. People trade with china and carried the plague, and then it spread from there. After the plague killed the rats the fleas needed something else to feed on so the went to humans, and that's where it all started.
The symptoms started like a flu and then black splotches appeared. This is where is got its name. It killed the affected in about 3-5 days from the start, and attacked the elderly and the weak. There were also some healthy that got it. No one knew what caused it. People went to great length's to try and stop it but they were wasting their time. It comes from bacteria and could be easily stopped by washing. Most people stopped washing thinking that if they wash their pores would open up and the disease would get in, that was the worst thing they could do. Others tried to wear masks with a beak filled with flowers to protect them self; people also put on perfume. People were doing crazy things at this time of chaos, some murdered, and flagellants whipped them selves with leather whips thinking that they would rid them self of sins and god would stop them from getting the plague. That made cuts on them self and made it easier to get it.