NPR: bubonic plague https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129633157 bubonic plague en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Tue, 06 May 2025 23:03:59 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: bubonic plague https://www.npr.org/tags/129633157/bubonic-plague Don't just blame rat fleas. Lice may have helped spread 'black death' plague The mystery: How did bubonic plague spread so rapidly? Could rat fleas have done it all? A new study points the finger at lice as possible accomplices. Mon, 03 Jun 2024 09:37:37 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/05/30/g-s1-1808/bubonic-plague-black-death-middle-ages-lice-rat-fleas https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/05/30/g-s1-1808/bubonic-plague-black-death-middle-ages-lice-rat-fleas Yersinia pestis infection — that's the cause of the plague — depicted in orange/red in the glands.
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The mystery: How did bubonic plague spread so rapidly? Could rat fleas have done it all? A new study points the finger at lice as possible accomplices.

(Image credit: plague)

]]> Ari Daniel So you think you know all about the plague? A case in Oregon is a rarity in the United States. It is not expected to spread. But this ancient and deadly disease remains a threat around the world. Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:18:05 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/02/14/1231215446/so-you-think-you-know-all-about-the-plague https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2024/02/14/1231215446/so-you-think-you-know-all-about-the-plague

A case in Oregon is a rarity in the United States. It is not expected to spread. But this ancient and deadly disease remains a threat around the world.

]]> Michaeleen Doucleff How Bubonic Plague Reshaped The Streets Of Mumbai The scenes that have played out in India's financial capital this year with COVID-19 bear a striking resemblance to what life was like when the bubonic plague hit more than a century ago. Sun, 07 Mar 2021 07:30:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/03/07/968856331/how-bubonic-plague-reshaped-the-streets-of-mumbai https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/03/07/968856331/how-bubonic-plague-reshaped-the-streets-of-mumbai

The scenes that have played out in India's financial capital this year with COVID-19 bear a striking resemblance to what life was like when the bubonic plague hit more than a century ago.

(Image credit: Indranil Mukherjee)

]]> Sushmita Pathak China Reports 3 Cases Of The Most Dangerous Type Of Plague Authorities censored Chinese-language news of the hospitalization of a couple who traveled from Mongolia to Beijing for treatment, perhaps to tamp down fears. Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:17:06 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/15/779526827/china-reports-2-cases-of-the-most-dangerous-type-of-plague https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/15/779526827/china-reports-2-cases-of-the-most-dangerous-type-of-plague

Authorities censored Chinese-language news of the hospitalization of a couple who traveled from Mongolia to Beijing for treatment, perhaps to tamp down fears.

(Image credit: Oxford Science Archive)

]]> Emily Feng Bubonic Plague Strikes In Mongolia: Why Is It Still A Threat? The ancient disease is still around — and killed a couple in Mongolia just this month. Here's a look at the history — and persistence — of the plague. Tue, 07 May 2019 17:54:24 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/07/721167330/bubonic-plague-strikes-in-mongolia-why-is-it-still-a-threat https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/07/721167330/bubonic-plague-strikes-in-mongolia-why-is-it-still-a-threat

The ancient disease is still around — and killed a couple in Mongolia just this month. Here's a look at the history — and persistence — of the plague.

]]> Melody Schreiber How Madagascar Took Control Of Its Plague Outbreak An estimated 2,000 people fell ill and more than 170 died. But the latest news is that cases are dwindling. Sun, 19 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/11/19/564821692/how-madagascar-took-control-of-its-bubonic-plague-outbreak https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/11/19/564821692/how-madagascar-took-control-of-its-bubonic-plague-outbreak

An estimated 2,000 people fell ill and more than 170 died. But the latest news is that cases are dwindling.

]]> Rae Ellen Bichell The Plague Is Back, This Time In New Mexico In medieval times, they called it "the black death." It's still around, routinely cropping up in the U.S. This time, the New Mexico Department of Health reports three cases. Thu, 29 Jun 2017 16:19:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/29/534863486/the-bubonic-plague-is-back-this-time-in-new-mexico https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/29/534863486/the-bubonic-plague-is-back-this-time-in-new-mexico

In medieval times, they called it "the black death." It's still around, routinely cropping up in the U.S. This time, the New Mexico Department of Health reports three cases.

]]> Rae Ellen Bichell How Lemonade Helped Paris Fend Off Plague And Other Surprising 'Food Fights' Tom Nealon's new book searches through patchy historical records to trace subjects like how chocolate helped lead to war in the Caribbean, or the role a grain fungus played in the Crusades. Sun, 12 Mar 2017 07:00:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/12/519460915/how-lemonade-helped-paris-fend-off-plague-and-other-surprising-food-fights La Belle Limonadiere, hand coloured etching (1816). Lemonade was ubiquitous in mid-17th century Paris. Where the limonadiers went, piles of spent lemon peels followed. As rats nibbled on the peels, they killed off plague-infected fleas, Tom Nealon argues in his new book.'/>

Tom Nealon's new book searches through patchy historical records to trace subjects like how chocolate helped lead to war in the Caribbean, or the role a grain fungus played in the Crusades.

]]> Tove Danovich Oregon Teen Has Bubonic Plague, State Officials Say There's no widely available vaccine to prevent plague, an infectious bacterial disease that's carried by squirrels and other rodents. Fri, 30 Oct 2015 08:33:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/30/453095406/oregon-teen-has-bubonic-plague-state-officials-say https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/30/453095406/oregon-teen-has-bubonic-plague-state-officials-say Yersinia pestis bacteria, the pathogen that causes bubonic plague, on part of a flea's digestive system.'/>

There's no widely available vaccine to prevent plague, an infectious bacterial disease that's carried by squirrels and other rodents.

]]> Bill Chappell Rats Blamed For Bubonic Plague, But Gerbils May Be The Real Villains Rats have had a bad reputation ever since they were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. But perhaps the blame was misplaced. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the roles of rodents. Sat, 28 Feb 2015 06:10:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2015/02/28/389595442/rats-blamed-for-bubonic-plague-but-gerbils-may-be-the-real-villains https://www.npr.org/2015/02/28/389595442/rats-blamed-for-bubonic-plague-but-gerbils-may-be-the-real-villains

Rats have had a bad reputation ever since they were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. But perhaps the blame was misplaced. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the roles of rodents.

(Image credit: Peter Knight)

]]> Scott Simon