What was the most feared disease of the Middle Ages?

The plague was one of the biggest killers of the Middle Ages – it had a devastating effect on the population of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. Also known as the Black Death, the plague (caused by the bacterium called Yersinia pestis) was carried by fleas most often found on rats.



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In the Middle Ages, the average life span of males born in landholding families in England was 31.3 years and the biggest danger was surviving childhood. Once children reached the age of 10, their life expectancy was 32.2 years, and for those who survived to 25, the remaining life expectancy was 23.3 years.

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1200–1300: to age 64. 1300–1400: to age 45 (because of the bubonic plague) 1400–1500: to age 69. 1500–1550: to age 71.

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