The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. It was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted through fleas that infest rodents.
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The Black Death led to the deaths of an estimated 25-50 million people in Europe.
Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the Black Death, can cause three forms of plague: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic.
The flea vector primarily responsible for spreading Yersinia pestis is Xenopsylla cheopis.
Symptoms of the bubonic plague include swollen lymph nodes (buboes), fever, chills, and muscle aches.
The genetic analysis of ancient DNA from plague victims has confirmed Yersinia pestis as the causative agent.