Gerbils may be to blame for the Black Death

New research suggests that gerbils, not rats, may be the main cause of the Black Death, and that they arrived along the Silk Road in the mid-14th century.

“We show that wherever there were good conditions for gerbils and fleas in central Asia, some years later the bacteria shows up in harbour cities in Europe and then spreads across the continent,” Prof Stenseth said.

He said that a wet spring followed by a warm summer would cause gerbil numbers to boom.

“Such conditions are good for gerbils. It means a high gerbil population across huge areas and that is good for the plague,” he added.

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Story: BBC News | Photo: Science Photo Library