Silk Road Draft- Disease PDF

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Essay draft on the Silk Road, with a focus on the diseases that were carried along this historical trade route....

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Many fatal diseases were spread along the Silk Road throughout the 1300s. The Silk Road allowed for individuals to travel across various countries and make face-to-face contact as they traveled and traded. Due to this increased and widespread travel and trade along the routes of the Silk Road, many fatal diseases were spread. As individuals made face-to-face trades, virus’ of diseases were easily spread, like the Black Death, Leprosy, Anthrax, and Smallpox. (1) It is easy to assume that without the routes of the Silk Road, and the vast amount of trading that occurred, these diseases would not have spread as quickly or been as detrimental as they were during the 1300s. However, this assumption cannot be fully supported simply using historic evidence. Instead, evidence and information about diseases that have recently spread across the world may better support this assumption. For example, Ebola was spread across the world to various countries, without the aid of set routes like the Silk Road provided. It was simply spread due to modern travel, and individuals coming in contact with the virus. Yet, Ebola was not as detrimental to populations as the diseases on the Silk Road were. The Silk Road may have aided the spread of fatal diseases, and looking at recent evidence of modern-day diseases spread, it seems as though the Silk Road intensified the spread of many diseases. The Black Death was a fatal disease that was spread across the Silk Road, with many strains of it present across various countries. In 1346, the Black Death arose along the Silk Road, due to the travel and trade that occurred. The Black Death originated in China, and killed as many as half of all Europeans within seven years. These outbreaks of the Black Death were thought to have arrived from the east, specifically china, and traveled westward into areas like Asia and Europe. The Yersinia pestis strain, known as the Bubonic Plague, arrived in Europe in October of 1347. (5) It arrived on trading ships, that very likely came from the black sea, past Constantinople, and through the Mediterranean. Ports at these various locations allowed for

rodents, most being infected with the Yersinia Pestis virus, to easily be transported onto new land, like Europe. The Yersinia pestis strain of the Black Death lurked for centuries in Europe, but soon spread to Asia due to the travel and trade along the Silk Road. (5) The Bubonic Plague was scientifically proven to exist in Europe for three centuries. Researchers discovered this by looking at the DNA sequences from eight skeletons, that were found in Russia, and spanned from the 14th to 17th centuries. (3) These skeletons had traces of the Yersinia Pestis strain, and because they were from the 14th to 17th centuries, the strain of the Black Death was proven to persist in Europe for at least three centuries. (3) Research similar to this has taken place, and provides evidence to prove that fatal diseases were spread across the Silk Road. It may be difficult to prove that diseases were spread across Europe, Asia, and China, specifically because of the Silk Road. However, evidence around the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague, Leprosy, Anthrax, and Smallpox heavily suggests that they were spread because of the Silk Road. Also, similar epidemics have occurred recently that would further suggest that diseases were easily spread due to travel and trade. Ebola, a disease that was initially recorded in Guinea in December of 2013, quickly spread to neighboring countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone. (2) From 2014 to 2016, Ebola became a widespread outbreak in West Africa, with smaller outbreaks in countries across seas. (2) Outbreaks were recorded in Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, the United Kingdom, Sardinia, the United States, and Spain. (4) Although there was not an epidemic of Ebola in all of these countries, more than one case of Ebola was found in each one. Ebola is spread by the direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected individual. (4) Therefore, those who had this disease had to come in contact with another individual who had been infected. This contact likely occurred as individuals traveled to Guinea, or other countries where Ebola was initially recorded. After traveling to these countries and becoming infected,

individuals would continue to travel to other countries, spreading the disease. This spread of disease due to travel is similar to how diseases were spread on the Silk Road, through travel and trade. It may help individuals better understand how easily diseases traveled across the Silk Road, by looking at modern examples of diseases that were spread due to travel. Although today we have advanced methods of travel, like planes, a disease like Ebola was still able to spread. If a disease like Ebola was easily spread on a plane or another common way of travel, it is very likely that diseases like the Black Death were spread through ships, caravans, and Mongolian travelers on horses. Modern day travel offers less contact with individuals, because individuals are not stopping at a temporary settlement surrounded by infected rodents every night, or trading face-to-face with individuals. So, if a disease like Ebola spread this quickly with less face-to-face contact and possibility of infected rodents or fleas, it is very likely that diseases were spread along the Silk Road, due to trade and travel.

Sources McNeill, William Hardy, and McNeill, William Hardy. Plagues and Peoples New York: Anchor Books, 1990. "Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2018. Accessed November 17, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html. LawlerApr, Andrew, Meredith WadmanNov, Jeffrey MervisNov, Frankie SchembriNov, and Gretchen VogelNov. "How Europe Exported the Black Death." Science | AAAS. December 09, 2017. Accessed November 17, 2018. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/how-europeexported-black-death. "West African Ebola Virus Epidemic." Wikipedia. November 13, 2018. Accessed November 17, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Ebola_virus_epidemic. "Yersinia Pestis." Wikipedia. November 08, 2018. Accessed November 17, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis....