Nature & Environment
The Black Death May Have Persisted for as Long as 300 Years in Europe
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 20, 2016 06:32 PM EST
The plague, also known as Black Death, may have persisted for as long as 300 years in Europe. Scientists have taken a closer look at the bacteria that causes the sickness, Yersinia pestis, and have found it may have persisted in a previously unknown reservoir.
Most recent research on ancient plague demonstrates that the deadly disease existed thousands of years earlier than previously thought. In this latest study, though, the researchers recovered and analyzed ancient DNA from 30 plague victims of the second plague pandemic. These victims were excavated from two different burial sites in Germany, spanning more than 300 years.
Out of the 30 skeletons that the researchers tested, eight were positive for Yersinia pestis-specific nucleic acid. All positive individuals had genetic material that were highly similar to previously investigated plague victims from other European countries. In fact, they had identical Y. pestis genotype.
So what does this mean? In addition to the assumed continuous reintroduction of Y. pestis from central Asia in multiple waves during the second pandemic, it's possible that Y. pestis persisted long-term in Europe in a yet unknown reservoir host.
The findings reveal a bit more about the spread of the plague. This, in turn, may show how it managed to wipe out so many people and how it persisted over such a long period of time.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
Related Stories
Next Ice-Age Suppressed by Human-Made Climate Change
Plague Hotspots Discovered in the Western United States
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
More on SCIENCEwr
First Posted: Jan 20, 2016 06:32 PM EST
The plague, also known as Black Death, may have persisted for as long as 300 years in Europe. Scientists have taken a closer look at the bacteria that causes the sickness, Yersinia pestis, and have found it may have persisted in a previously unknown reservoir.
Most recent research on ancient plague demonstrates that the deadly disease existed thousands of years earlier than previously thought. In this latest study, though, the researchers recovered and analyzed ancient DNA from 30 plague victims of the second plague pandemic. These victims were excavated from two different burial sites in Germany, spanning more than 300 years.
Out of the 30 skeletons that the researchers tested, eight were positive for Yersinia pestis-specific nucleic acid. All positive individuals had genetic material that were highly similar to previously investigated plague victims from other European countries. In fact, they had identical Y. pestis genotype.
So what does this mean? In addition to the assumed continuous reintroduction of Y. pestis from central Asia in multiple waves during the second pandemic, it's possible that Y. pestis persisted long-term in Europe in a yet unknown reservoir host.
The findings reveal a bit more about the spread of the plague. This, in turn, may show how it managed to wipe out so many people and how it persisted over such a long period of time.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
Related Stories
Next Ice-Age Suppressed by Human-Made Climate Change
Plague Hotspots Discovered in the Western United States
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone