How did plague spread in Iceland?

The first epidemic appears to have started in the autumn of 1402 and that the disease had arrived by ship, possibly in the harbour of Hvalfjörður on the south west coast. The epidemic is generally considered to have spread to the north of Iceland before Christmas and continued until Easter 1404.

When was the last recorded Black Death?

Plague in the United States The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925. Plague then spread from urban rats to rural rodent species, and became entrenched in many areas of the western United States.

When did the plague reached Iceland?

Iceland was spared the Black Death in the A.D. 1340s and 1350s, but in the 15th century, the country was twice hit by devastating epidemics that have been plausibly identified as plague. The first episode was in A.D. 1402–1404 and is estimated to have killed more than one-half of the population.

When did rats arrive in Iceland?

Brown rats also came to Iceland with settlers in the 19th or 20th century. It was first most common around the fishing villages but they have increased in recent years because of the transport of goods and grain around the country.

Where does the plague still exist?

Bubonic plague still occurs throughout the world and in the U.S., with cases in Africa, Asia, South America and the western areas of North America. About seven cases of plague happen in the U.S. every year on average.

How did the Black Death spread so quickly?

The Black Death was an epidemic which ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1400. It was a disease spread through contact with animals (zoonosis), basically through fleas and other rat parasites (at that time, rats often coexisted with humans, thus allowing the disease to spread so quickly).

Why was Poland spared from the Black Death?

One main reason why Poland escaped relatively unscathed, was the decision by Poland’s king, Casimir the Great, to close the country’s borders – and set up internal quarantines. Isolation plus quarantine certainly helped spare Poland from the worst of the epidemic.

Are mice native to Iceland?

Only four species of rodents occur in Iceland, the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), the house mouse (Mus musculus), the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and the black rat (Rattus rattus). The wood mouse probably arrived with the settlers, but there are no records of the arrival of the house mouse.

Are there mice in Iceland?

There are two types if mice in Iceland, house mouse (Mus Musculus) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), they came over to Iceland with the first settlers. The only place where the house mouse does not live in direct connection with people in Iceland is Vestmannaeyjar or Westman Islands.

What was the chance of surviving the Black Death?

Mortality depends on the type of plague: Bubonic plague is fatal in about 50-70\% of untreated cases, but perhaps 10-15\% when treated. Septicaemic plague is almost 100\% fatal, and perhaps 40\% with treatment.

When did the Black Death first appear in Iceland?

Various sources note that Iceland escaped the plague during 1340–50 when it raged through the rest of western Europe. But it appeared in 1402 and again in 1494, and again in 1703. As you collect these historical notes, bear in mind that all of the visitations by “black death” may not have been bubonic plague.

When was the last time the Black Death happened in Norway?

In the plague history of Norway from the Black Death 1348-49 to the last outbreaks in 1654, comprising over thirty waves of plague, there was never a winter epidemic of plague. Plague is very different from airborne contagious diseases, which are spread directly between people by droplets: these thrive in cold weather.

Did the Black Death ever reach the Irish?

In summer 1349, Archbishop Fitzralph asserted the plague had not yet reached the ‘Irish nation’. The Great Council in July 1360 complained of a plague that was ‘so great and so hideous among the English lieges, and not among the Irish’.

How did the Black Death spread to the British Isles?

Originating in Asia, it spread west along the trade routes across Europe and arrived on the British Isles from the English province of Gascony. The plague was spread by flea-infected rats, as well as individuals who had been infected on the continent.