Question

What was most responsible for the spread of the bubonic plague across Eurasia?

1) Trade routes
2) Poor sanitation
3) Rats and fleas
4) Lack of medical knowledge

Answer 1

Option (1), The primary factors responsible for the spread of the bubonic plague were the trade routes, especially the Silk Roads, and the black rats and fleas that traveled along these routes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The spread of the bubonic plague across Eurasia during the 14th century, known as the Black Death, can be attributed primarily to two factors: trade routes such as the Silk Roads and the ubiquitous presence of rats and fleas on those routes. These rodents, particularly black rats, were carriers of the fleas infected with the bacterium Yersinia pestis, responsible for the disease.

Trade routes facilitated the movement of ships and caravans that quietly transported these infected rats to new areas, which, combined with the influx of people and goods, gave rise to a rapid and widespread dissemination of the plague.