The Black Death killed millions in Europe between 1347 and 1351. A 2018 study suggests that human parasites, such as body lice and human fleas, caused the outbreak, rather than rodents. The study analyzed data from outbreaks in Europe and found that the human parasite model better reflected death rates in seven of nine regions studied. Plague remains a significant disease today.
The Black Death killed at least 75 million people in Europe between 1347 and 1351, making it one of the worst pandemics in human history. Some estimate the number of deaths as high as 200 million. The plague was linked to the bacterium Yersinia pestis, presumably spread by mice. But a 2018 study by scientists at the University of Oslo and the University of Ferrara suggests it’s more likely that human “ectoparasites” — such as body lice and human fleas — actually caused the deadly outbreak.
A plague that still lives among us:
Researchers studied data from a series of outbreaks in Europe called the ‘second plague pandemic’ and tracked how plagues spread: from rodents, airborne transmission or humans.
By indicating how quickly the plague spread, the researchers found that the human parasite model better reflected the death rates in seven of the nine regions studied.
“Plague is undeniably a disease of significant scientific, historical and public interest, and is still present in many parts of the world today,” the researchers said.
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