Plague is a vector-borne disease caused by Yersinia pestis. Transmitted by fleas from
rodent reservoirs, Y. pestis emerged< 6000 years ago from an enteric bacterial ancestor …

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has been responsible for at least three
pandemics. During the last pandemic, which started in Hong Kong in 1894, the …

Background New DNA sequencing technologies have enabled detailed comparative
genomic analyses of entire genera of bacterial pathogens. Prior to this study, three species …

Some of the most deadly bacterial diseases, including leprosy, anthrax and plague, are
caused by bacterial lineages with extremely low levels of genetic diversity, the so-called …

We present the complete genome sequence of Yersinia pestis KIM, the etiologic agent of
bubonic and pneumonic plague. The strain KIM, biovar Mediaevalis, is associated with the …

Because of the limits inherent in historical sources on ancient plague epidemics, many
questions concerning their etiology and epidemiology remain unanswered. Molecular …

Plague continued to afflict Europe for more than five centuries after the Black Death. Yet, by
the 17th century, the dynamics of plague had changed, leading to its slow decline in …