Epidemics and plagues in the kingdom of Granada (The Black Death as a model)
Abstract
Historical research on epidemics is an important type of research. It documents lessons learned from devasting human experiences. This research deals with the Black Death epidemic which spread in Kingdom of Granada and to most parts of the world between the years (748-750/1347-1351) The research aims to trace the most important literature on the causes of the epidemic, its appearance, its spread, and its economic, social, and health impact. The researcher adopted the historical method. The key findings from this research are: The most important factor contributed to the spread of the plague documented in the literature was the ignorance about the plague and its modes of transmission significantly contributed to its spread. Andalusian scientists played a key role in social mobilization and improved community participation to control the epidemic. Doctors at the Kingdom of Granada like Ibn Al-Khateeb, Ibn Khatema, and Al-Shaqoury have significantly contributed to the black death literature. They have described a clinical case definition for the plague, its causes, symptoms, and its prevention and control.
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