Hittite plague

Hittite plague was an epidemic of tularemia that occurred in the 14th century BC. The Hittite plague was also used in what is considered the first documented use of a biological weapon.

Background

The Hittite Empire stretched from Turkey to Syria. The plague was an outbreak of Francisella tularensis which occurred along the Arwad-Euphrates trading route in the 14th century BC. Much of the middle east suffered from outbreaks, however Egypt and Anatolia initiated a quarantine along their border and they did not experience the epidemic.

Tularemia is also referred to as "rabbit fever" and it is a Zoonotic disease which can easily pass from animals to humans. The most common way that it is spread is though various insects such as ticks that hop between species. The symptoms of an infection range from skin lesions to respiratory failure. Without treatment the mortality rate is fifteen percent of those infected. Tularemia is rare in modern times, however it sometimes appears in Bulgaria.

Outbreak

According to author Philip Norrie (How Disease Affected the End of the Bronze Age) There are three diseases most likely to cause societal collapse: smallpox, bubonic plague and tularemia. The plague was spread by insects and, infected dirt or plants, through cuts or by eating animals which had the infection.

Texts from the mid 14th century BC reveal that the plague caused disabilities and death. The Hittite 's also suspected humans to animal transmission and they banned the use of Donkeys in caravans. It is believed that the Hittites suffered the outbreak after they raided Simyra and brought animals, and specifically Rams, home with them. Soon after the animals were brought into villages, the Hittite plague began.

Plague as a weapon

The disease was intentionaly brought to Anatolia in what historians describe as the "first known record of biological warfare". Shortly after the Hittites experienced the outbreak the Arzawans from western Anatolia attacked the Hittites. Reports say that the Arzawans reported Rams suddenly appearing (1320 and 1318 BC): the Arzawans brought them into their villages. It is thought that the Hittites had sent rams diseased with tularemia to infect their enemies. The Arzawans became were so weakened by the plague that they lost in their attempt to conquer the Hittites.