Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague. Plague is infamous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages.
What animal causes plague?
Overview. Plague is a serious bacterial infection that's transmitted primarily by fleas. The organism that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, lives in small rodents found most commonly in rural and semirural areas of Africa, Asia and the United States.
What animal is called Black Death?
Bubonic plague is an infection spread mostly to humans by infected fleas that travel on rodents. Called the Black Death, it killed millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages. Prevention doesn't include a vaccine, but does involve reducing your exposure to mice, rats, squirrels and other animals that may be infected.
What was the real cause of the plague?
The Black Death is believed to have been the result of plague, an infectious fever caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The disease was likely transmitted from rodents to humans by the bite of infected fleas.
Which animal species carried the plague bacteria?
The bacterium Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) causes plague. Rats and other animals carry Y. pestis, but humans usually get infected by being bitten by fleas or lice carrying the bacteria.