Original: There is some controversy over the identity of the disease , but in its virulent form , after the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720 -- 1722 , the Great Plague of 1738 ( which hit eastern Europe ) , and the Russian plague of 1770-1772 , it seems to have disappeared from Europe in the 19th century .
Simplified: There is some controversy over the identity of the disease , but in its virulent form seems to have disappeared from Europe in the 18th century .