How Did The Plague Finish?

The Great Plague began in 1665 in London. Although it was not the largest outbreak of the disease (the Black Death of 1347-1353 dwarfed it), it is given its moniker as it is remembered as the last major outbreak of the disease in Europe.

The Great Fire of London is generally credited with the destruction of the plague. The disease originated in bales of cotton from Amsterdam, in which rats carrying bacterial infections were found. It is thought that the Great Fire destroyed the remnants of the disease which had, in fact, been in decline since the beginning of 1666. The majority of the plague-carrying rats seem to have been killed during the fire, which also razed the most over-populated, and therefore unsanitary, areas of the city.

It is uncertain, however, whether the Great Fire had as much of an impact as is popularly thought. It affected the richer areas most significantly, which had a much lower infection rate anyway. Regardless, by the end of 1666 London was virtually rid of the disease, although extended trade with Europe meant that France was to suffer it subsequently.