I read some time ago that black plague was endemic in wild rodent populations in 17 western states. Yersinia pestis has three forms: bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic. Bubonic occurs in relatively healthy people and is survivable. The buboes are blackened blood filled lymph glands which indicates the immune system is working. Septicemic is a total infection of the blood in people with deficient immune systems and kills almost all very quickly. Pneumonic is spread from one person to another by coughing and sneezing. It attacks the lungs and is rapidly fatal to almost all. A significant change in Europe may have been the shift of plague from wild rodents to black rats which often lived in houses with people, thus spreading the infected fleas. Subsequently, the plague seemed to shift to Norway rats which are sewer and cellar rats and less likely to infect people.
Yep- it’s nasty stuff- and like you mentioned, these shifts in hosts can have devastating effects- I didn’t realize there was the systemic plague as well- that’s pretty nasty-
The fella who died after skinning that bobcat in the NY article I believe threw the skin the back seat of his car, a friend borrowed the car, and ended up either sick or dying as well if I recall right- although that NY article didn’t mention that part- seems as though UI recall having read that a few years ago- Being a trapper at the time, I was a bit taken aback by the story-
Then there’s hunta virus- which is different, but can be just as deadly- that is in urine of mice though- mostly out west, but even out east a few cases of people dying from it
It’s kinda frightening the things that are lurking in the wilds, and even in our own homes- plagues, viruses, lyme disease, (several tick bourne diseases), west nile virus, chagas disease, on and on and on it goes- it’s amazing that these things don’t just wipe everyone out-