The Modern Science of the Black Death

DNA analysis of Plague victims from European cemeteries have provided definitive identification of the pathogen that caused the pandemic: Yersinia pestis

STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND

The Black Rat (R. Rattus) — together with the Oriental Rat Flea (X. cheopis) — has long taken the blame for the Bubonic Plague pandemic of the fourteenth century. Scientists and historians are now considering other animal vectors — like gerbils and marmots — for the rapid spread of the pestilence.

Learn about recent DNA studies

Read about Plague Ecology in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control

Visit the Plague Page at the Centers for Disease Control Website