The bubonic plague is known in history as having killed almost one third.
It is known as the pestilence, the black plague, or most vividly the Black Death. The black plague is looked upon is having no bright spots; no one can seem to find anything good that has come out of it. To the contrary, the incredible hardship and suffering caused by the bubonic plague brought about many changes in European society, laying the groundwork for the European renaissance. There were drastic changes in almost every aspect of European society, especially on the manor and in the Catholic church. .
In October 1347, a fleet of merchant ships returning from China entered the Sicilian port of Messina. People welcoming the ship into harbor found most the crew dead, or dying. It was a horrific scene, the dying covered with hideous black bulges and welts which were extremely painful. The people of Messina attempted to quarantine the ship, but it had no effect. Whatever was on that ship had spread into the city. Little did the people of Messina know, what was on the ship that killed the crew could not be quarantined, rodents and fleas carried the disease. Before long, the disease had spread throughout Europe, killing 20-50% of the entire population. This disease, known by many as the pestilence; the Black Death; the black plague; or more scientifically, the bubonic plague. In total, roughly 25 million people died from the plague. The plague was easily spread. In the Middle Ages, people lived practically in coexistence with rats; they weren't really thought of as a problem. Rats were everywhere. The bubonic plague was carried by fleas, which lived on the rats. The fleas, after consuming what they wanted to on the rat, would jump off their hosts. They would land everywhere, on furniture, clothes, or even on human skin. The flea, which was now carrying the plague bacteria, would feast on human flesh, leaving the plague bacterium behind.