• Question: Could diseases such as the black death return

    Asked by xxxHESKEYxxBEASTxxAKINFENWAxxKSIARMYxxx to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 18 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Yes – plague still exists in some parts of the world. But now we could probably treat it with antibiotics. Viral illnesses like flu are probably more likely to cause lots of deaths in a short time. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is also scary.

    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      The Black Death was caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. I know of some work which happens on this bacteria. There is still the occasional outbreak, most recently there was a fairly severe outbreak in Madagascar. Plague is actually less dangerous now because it was spread by the fleas carried on rats, there are now less rats and we have better personal hygiene. This means it would be much harder for the disease to spread!

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