Comment by contingencies
5 hours ago
In period relativistic perspective it's worth keeping in mind that there are many 20th century plague outbreaks that were severe yet are not discussed in the history books. I am aware of some in Asia. These were just as horrifying, with large portions of the population dying simultaneously.
When we say “the plague” we often mean the bubonic plague (Yersinia Pestis) outbreak in 13th century Europe (“Black Death”). As far as I know, current evidence points to this originating in Asia as well.
Asia is probably the continent with the longest continuous “threat” of plague in recorded history.