Did rats really cause the Black Death?

In this video we go in search of the cause of one of the deadliest pandemics in human history: the Black Death, and what we find isn't quite what we'd thought!

----------------

For further reading:

Climate-driven introduction of the Black Death and successive plague reintroductions into Europe: http://www.pnas.org/content/112/10/3020

Bubonic plague was a serial visitor in European Middle Ages: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/b...

The Black Death: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_D...

Theories of the Black Death: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theorie...

----------------

Photo Attributions:

Yersinia Pestis: By Photo Credit=Content Providers= CDC/ Courtesy of Larry Stauffer, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Fvasconcellos.This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #1918.Note: Not all PHIL images are public domain; be sure to check copyright status and credit authors and content providers.English | Slovenščina | +/−, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Plague Cyst: By Photo Credit:Content Providers(s): CDC - This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #2047.Note: Not all PHIL images are public domain; be sure to check copyright status and credit authors and content providers.English | Slovenščina | +/−Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Gerbil: By English Wikipedia user Rebroad, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Black Rat: By Kilessan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

By Murray Foubister - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mfoubis..., CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Dead Rat: By Pavel Ševela, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

Brown Rat: By AnemoneProjectors (talk) - Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)Uploaded by MaybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

All other images original or Public Domain.

--------------------

Check out my live mousetrap reviews -    • Best Live Mouse Trap Reviews  

Watch slow-motion live trap in-action videos -    • Mouse Traps In Action  

MousetrapGenius is your source for reviews of humane, environmentally friendly patio, lawn and garden stuff! Please don't forget to subscribe!    / mousetrapgenius  

Comment Policy:
Comments containing promotional spam, baseless claims, or personal insults may be removed. Comments containing violent or vulgar language, profanity or threats WILL be removed and the users who posted them blocked.

What caused the black death?

Thanks for hanging out!    • Did rats really cause the Black Death?