"Body Lice Linked to Bubonic Plague Spread"

Recent research published in PLOS Biology suggests that body lice, not just rat-transmitted fleas, played a significant role in spreading the bubonic plague during the 14th century. The study found that body lice can effectively transmit the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis, with infected lice remaining contagious for up to a week and capable of infecting humans through their bites. This new evidence highlights the potential for body lice to be more effective vectors of the plague than previously understood.