Fluorescent image of a human body louse with Yersinia pestis infection (orange/red) in the Pawlowsky glands. Y. pestis has been the culprit behind numerous pandemics, including the Black Death of the ...

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 ...

Rats and fleas might not be the only culprits behind deadly Yersinia pestis pandemics. By Laura Baisas Published May 22, 2024 12:57 PM EDT Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, ...

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 ...

A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they ...

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 ...

If you’ve noticed a bug on your clothes, in your hair, in your kid’s hair, or on your pet, there’s no need to panic, as it might not be a louse. Many insects have a lice-like appearance and are often ...