How did plague affect trade and cities?

Explanation

(i) With the expansion of trade in the 13th and 14th centuries, ships carrying goods from distant countries had started arriving in European ports, Rats came alongwith ships carrying away the infection of bubonic plague. After the outbreak of plague, cities became the hardest hit. In enclosed communities like monasteries, when one individual contracted the plague none survived.
(ii) The plague took its worst toll among infants, the young and the elderly.
(iii) As the horrible impact of plague the population of Europe, 73 millions in 1300, stood reduced to 45 millions in 1400.
(iv) Depopulation caused the shortage of labour. Imbalance was created between agriculturalists and manufacturers.