Black Death

The Black Death started because of the rats carrying disease from the ships. The people of the time believed differently though. They thought God was punishing them. It was God's wrath coming down on the people because of what they did wrong and the people they killed. The Black Death looked gruesome. There were tumors that grew around the armpit and groin. They were usually about the size of an egg, but some grew to be the size of an apple. Black spots would show on the thigh or arm. It was so awful because it spread so easily. People were dying rapidly. The people's minds started to work against them as well. It was very dangerous for the physicians and everyone else.
If a plague, like the Black Death, were to arise in the United States, people would go crazy. There would be uprising and chaos. Hospitals would close and people would hurt each other. The world would seem as if it was coming to an end. When doctors can't figure something out, people start to get worried. A massive wave of death would also scare people. If a similar plague broke out, people would go into a major depression and happiness would drain from the world.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/boccacio2.html