Final answer:
Vulnerable individuals, such as those with preexisting health conditions, faced higher mortality rates. Complex ecology of the plague demonstrates significance of diverse elements that determined fate of those exposed to Yersinia pestis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The assessment of survival during a plague according to historical accounts is a complex matter that incorporates various factors such as the biological, environmental, and social elements influencing individual and population immunity. Survivability was not uniform, as historical figures like Geoffrey de Meaux and others noted that the selective process affected people differently, and not everyone exposed to the plague's pathogen succumbed to it.
Notably, physicians like Guy de Chauliac pointed to both general and particular causes of mortality, acknowledging that individuals with certain health conditions were more vulnerable. The complex interplay of factors such as the presence of vectors, the immune response of individuals, and their overall health status all played a role in determining whether exposed individuals would live or die during the epidemic.
Research by paleo-epidemiologist Sharon DeWitte and colleagues has suggested that the medieval plague disproportionately targeted individuals in poor health, reinforcing the understanding that those who were already compromised had a higher risk of mortality when infected by Yersinia pestis. These insights highlight that the factors contributing to survival were multi-faceted, emphasizing the importance of considering the intricate ecology of the plague and the differential mortality outcomes.