In fact public baths in Europe were closed in a futile attempt to curb contagion during the Great Plague, during the 14th century. From there on, bathing was frown upon as being dangerous and even unhealthy.

For instance in the late 1500, Henri IV from France was writing letters to his prime minister Sully to pray him not to bathe so often (uncommonly for the time, Sully used to have a weekly bath) because it would destroy his health and be a huge loss to France to lose such a valuable man.