Meningitis is a relatively rare infection that affects the delicate membranes -- called meninges (men-in'-jeez) -- that cover the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis can be deadly and contagious among people in close contact. Viral meningitis tends to be less severe and most people recover completely without specific therapy. Fungal meningitis is a rare form of meningitis and generally occurs only in people with weakened immune systems.
The Black Death is thought to have originated in the arid plains of Central Asia, where it then travelled along the Silk Road, reaching Crimea by 1343. From there, it was most likely carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships.
The black death arrived in Ireland in 1348. It hit the larger towns and villages especially hard, which is where the population was largely English and Norman. The native â¦ Irish mainly lived in the rural areas and therefore weren't affected as severely.