January 17, 2018
Rats Didn’t Spread the Black Death—It Was Humans
In the 14th century, a devastating plague known as the Black Death claimed an estimated 75 million lives. How did the people who contracted it know their luck had run out?
Rats have long been blamed for spreading the Black Death around Europe in the 14th century. Specifically, historians have speculated that the fleas on rats are responsible for the estimated 25 million plague deaths between 1347 and 1351.
However, a new study suggests that rats weren’t the main carriers of fleas and lice that spread the plague—it was humans.
https://www.history.com/news/rats-didnt-spread-the-black-death-it-was-humans
