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A new study showed: people who survived an epidemic the “black plague” that devastated Europe in the 1300s, significantly increased the age of mortality. Based on the result analyzes of the remains found in old London cemeteries, experts concluded that after the first outbreak the plague the local population has become less susceptible to early mortality, than before the epidemic. Researcher Sharon Devit, Biological an anthropologist from the University of South Carolina said that if previously, only about 10 percent survived to 70 years of age people, then after the epidemic the number of centenarians more than doubled. Plague, or “black death” as her called in the middle ages, owes its appearance to bacteria Yersinia Pestis. This disease got its name because of characteristic black spots on the skin of the patient. At infected people experienced an extraordinary increase lymph nodes, severe fever and rash, severely infected vomited blood. Plague outbreaks in Europe occurred between 1347 and 1351 over the years. Scientists estimate that about 200 died as a result of the epidemic million people, which was approximately 30 to 50 percent of the population of all of Europe. For a long time, scientists believed that “black death” killed all people indiscriminately. However previous Sharon’s research has refuted this belief. Plague, like many other diseases, mainly killed the elderly, as well weakened people. This discovery raised the question of how the susceptibility of people to the plague was closely related to their heredity, as well as the impact of the genes of survivors an epidemic on offspring. Researchers suggest that the plague really “entered” itself into the human genomes, since there are certain descendants of survivors of this disease changes in certain immune genes. To confirm this speculation, Sharon performed a bone analysis of 464 related skeletons to the 11th and 12th century (before the plague), as well as 133 skeletons, relating to the 14th – 16th century (when the plague receded). Taken for experiment skeletons belonged to people completely different socio-economic classes and ages. Thanks to experiment it became obvious that after the epidemic the Europeans really significantly increased the age of mortality. Increase in average age of population death occurred as a result of natural dropouts of the weak and weak, of which about 50 percent turned out population. In addition, more survivors became available. resources, which means their diet has improved significantly. Surviving people began to eat more meat, fish and bread, which favorably affected their health and longevity. Based on this, scientists came to a paradoxical conclusion in many respects – epidemics in a global perspective are not evil for people in pure, because, taking away the weak, they give the opportunity form a stronger and healthier generation.
Epidemics
