The Black Plague was a plague pandemic that ravaged most of Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the most fatal pandemics in human history, as an estimated 75-200 million people died.

This catastrophic disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and was spread by infected fleas via rodents. (predominantly black rats) The Plague was primarily transmitted across trade routes due to the unhygienic, unsanitary conditions on trading ships.