Researchers are now claiming that humans — not rats — were the main carriers of the European Black Death plague, according to a Monday report.
Scientists at the University of Oslo and the University of Ferrara released a study claiming that lice and fleas known as “ectoparasites” were found on humans instead of rats, thereby causing the massive spread of the plague.
The scientists created a mathematical model to determine mortality rates if rats were the main cause of the pandemic. The rates better correlated if the deadly fleas and lice were carried by humans, reported the Daily Mail. If the Black Death was caused by rats, the study posits that humans would have died slowly, with rates increasing over time.
Based on known facts about the pandemic, however, the death toll spiked rapidly, with half of London’s population in 1348 dying in the course of just 18 months. The scientists’ research, therefore, suggests that the primary culprits were humans and poor hygiene, since the fleas and lice were not washed off regularly.
“Even assuming one rat for every person in medieval cities, which was probably 10 times the actual number of rats, the death rates did not fit,” said Boris Schmid, from the centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis at the University of Oslo.
Send tips to gabrielle@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
The Daily Caller News Foundation is working hard to balance out the biased American media. For as little as $3, you can help us. Make a one-time donation to support the quality, independent journalism of TheDCNF. We’re not dependent on commercial or political support and we do not accept any government funding.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.