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To: TheThirdRuffian

Bubonic plague is thought to have come from China or Central Asia. However, there have been other pandemics that were called plagues, including one that swept through the Roman Empire in AD 165 that was thought to be smallpox and another in 251 that was thought to be measles.


7 posted on 11/25/2025 6:50:41 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Fiji Hill

This was Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague.

They do note it lacked the genetic adaptations of the later Chinese plague that made it so contagious.

You can access the full open-access article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38393-w


8 posted on 11/25/2025 7:09:12 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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