Introduction
The Bubonic Plague and the AIDS pandemic, although centuries apart, when examined are found to have some similarities. The similarities are not in the way they affect humans for they are not related in any way. Rather, they arise from the modes through which the diseases are spread, perceptions and myths that they evoked, and the course of treatment among others. While the plague was transmitted via fleas and rats, AIDS is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood and semen. Disease symptoms for the two also vary. For The Plague, they are immediately and glaringly obvious. On the other hand, AIDS requires testing to establish its existence as it can remain dormant for several months.
Perception of the pandemics
Both diseases have their origin established as Central Asia for the Plague and Central Africa for AIDS where the first human cases were witnessed. What has been the source of speculation for both is how the diseases were contracted by humans and became transmittable between people. Transmission of the diseases is also another area that generated debate in the entire course of The Plague and during the initial stages of AIDS. For the latter, it was first believed that the disease was prevalent in gay men since the first cases were reported from gay men while The Plague had its transmission steeped in the astrological mystiques of the mid-evil times and therefore there were some outrageous theories put forward for its origin and spread (Tuchman pp.92-95 & Watkins pp. 1-2).
Both diseases share a similarity in the vast number of people who have died from them with AIDS continuing to rack up the figures. For The Plague, the disease spread rapidly across Europe killing a significant percentage of the population in areas where it struck. While in the modern world there are more accurate ways of documenting those affected, during The Plague some particular inaccuracies were observed where deaths in particular locales were more than double the estimated populations. In addition, there were some exaggerations on the number of people dying that further served to deepen some perceptions and beliefs (Tuchman pp. 96-104 & Watkins p. 4).
Socially, the diseases were similar because they led to the break-up of families and deserting of friends affected by the diseases bringing about some form of stigma. This was as a result of ignorance on ways of transmission for both diseases occasioning some level of fear of contraction. While in Europe the disease mostly affected the poor people because they could not flee from the disease, in America AIDS has been rather prevalent among African-Americans with some evidence pointing to some sort of genetic predisposition (Tuchman p. 104 & Watkins pp. 5-8).
Despite a better understanding of diseases as compared to the 14th century, AIDS; just like The Bubonic Plague also has no cure to date. Therefore, the best option against the scourge as was with The Plague is prevention. In the United States, AIDS is believed to have been introduced from Africa via modern transport links. The same applies to The Plague which was transported through ships from Asia that carried infected rats.
Conclusion
Even though the two diseases occurred centuries apart, the similarities are reflective of social patterns that remain somewhat the same. From the significance of transport links in spreading the disease to the availability of information on the diseases or lack of it to the public and its significance on how the affected were treated. Also evident from the two cases was that prevention remains the greatest arsenal in fighting the diseases and curbing their spread.
Works Cited
Tuchman, Barbara. A Distant Mirror. New York: Ballantine Books, 1978.
Watkins, David. HIV and Aids: A Modern Plague. New York: Scientific American, 2008.