17世纪上半期东亚牛瘟流行史述论

Rinderpest in East Asia during the First Half of the 17 th Century

牛瘟是一种非常古老的家畜传染病,对农牧业危害极大。17世纪上半期,朝鲜、日本境内曾相继爆发牛瘟;同时期中国的东北和华北亦有受到牛瘟侵袭的迹象。来自内亚草原的牛瘟病毒在边境人畜和物资流动的过程中,凭借其高传染性得以跨越长城、鸭绿江、日本海,最终横扫东亚;其高感染率与致死率也令当时各国束手无策,对东亚各国农业经济造成冲击。尤需指出的是,牛瘟是造成明末华北饥荒与动乱的元凶之一,亦是明清易代进程中值得关注的因素。

Rinderpest as an infectious viral disease of livestock had a very long history,and it was extremely harmful to agriculture.In the first half of the 17th century,it broke out in Joseon and Japan,and even in Northern and Northeastern China.Originated from the grasslands in Inner Asia,the rinderpest virus spread across East Asia through the transport of cattle.Its high infection and death rates made all countries helpless.It also severely affected the agriculture in East Asia.In particular,rinderpest was one of the causes of famine and social unrest in Northern China in the late Ming Dynasty.It was a matter at the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties worth paying attention to.