The Athenian Plague

The doctors were the first to be infected. As they were the first to treat the victims, the contagious disease hit them. The disease was passed on through things like sneezing and coughing. Because no treatment was effective at the time, many died.

No one wanted to go near the dead bodies. The bodies of the victims were hastily stuffed together. The birds of prey could not eat them, as they would die. Dogs were also killed in this manner.

The strange thing about this plague was that it could not be caught twice by an individual, or it would not be very severe. Therefore, the main caretakers of the sick were the survivors. 

Now how did we, in the modern days, figure out what this disease really was? Many scientists over the years took guesses: bubonic plague, measles, small pox, scarlet fever, Ebola, and many more. In the recent years of 2004, scientists have found proof that the cause of the plague was Typhoid. The proof was found in an ancient Greek burial pit, led by Manolis Papagrigorakis. The group found the proof through a DNA study on the teeth of the corpses. The DNA sequences found on the teeth were similar to that of the Typhoid Fever. 

So this was the answer of the plague of Athens. Typhoid fever has a 30% kill rate, similar to that of the Athenian plague. Now, go outside and tell your friends of the mysterious plague that swept across Athens many years ago.