A fluorescent image of a human body louse with Yersinia pestis infection — that's the cause of the plague — depicted in orange/red in the glands. The plague — which in the mid-14th century was also ...

Scientists have long debated whether human body lice might have helped drive the rapid spread of the bacteria responsible for the deadly plague in the Middle Ages, known as the Black Death. It’s clear ...

Pop quiz question #1: How many clinicians can name their region's leading rickettsial threat and its arthropod vector? Globally, the small, intracellular bacteria causing spotted fevers and typhus ...

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... The plague — which in the mid-14th century was also known ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. The plague — which in the mid-14th ...