A history of the human plague in Iran.

Abstract

In the history of medicine, the human plague has been considered as one of the most terrifying fatal diseases that over centuries, killed millions of people. Three major pandemics took place between the 6th and 19th centuries, which profoundly impacted the world's socioeconomic status; however, the etiologic agent of the plague remained unknown up to the end of the 19th century. During the past 400 years, Iran experienced several human plague outbreaks. In the 20th century, the outbreaks still continued mostly in the endemic area including western Iran. This paper presents a brief historical account of the human plague pandemics as well as its outbreaks in Iran, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries.