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Asia was devastated by earthquakes, floods and famines which made wild animals enter villages in search of food.
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The fleas that arrived, were carriers of the bacterium called Yersinia pestis, hence they spread the germs to other animals like rats. Then they were passed on to humans.
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In Central Asia, at the cemetery near Lake Issyk-Kul, several graves were found during this period of time which are thought to be the first victims of this plague.
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The disease spread from one person to another simply by coughing as the germ spread by air and was easily tranfered by breathing.
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Caravans were filled with fleas which carried the plague. Whithout knowing, these groups of traders had taken death to places like Sarai and Astrakhan.
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Soon, the trading ships spread the plague across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It reached cities like Cyprus, Jerusalem, Genoa, Venice, Barcelona and Marseilles.
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This tragic event caused about 1/3 of Europe's population and 1/2 of North Africa and Middle East's population to die.
