Final answer:
The author's statements reveal the enormous impact of the plague of 542, including its mortality causes, the devastating outbreaks in 1430 and 1460, and the overall impact on Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author makes several statements that allow us to understand the enormous impact of the plague of 542:
- The mortality in this epidemic was partly caused by Yersinia pestis, which is the plague pathogen (source).
- Plague outbreaks in 1430 and 1460 were the worst after the Black Death, claiming around 90,000 and 70,000 lives respectively in Cairo (source).
- The bubonic plague ravaged Europe from 1347 to 1522, killing up to 35% of the population (source).