Black Death genetic code 'built'

[Bosonic]

The genetic code of the germ that caused the Black Death has been reconstructed by scientists for the first time.

The researchers extracted DNA fragments of the ancient bacterium from the teeth of medieval corpses found in London.

They say the pathogen is the ancestor of all modern plagues.

The research, published in the journal Nature, suggests the 14th Century outbreak was also the first plague pandemic in history.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15278366

[valerief]

1. Why am I expecting a "whoops!" coming from them soon? nt

[virgogal]

2. How comforting.

[Warpy]

3. I live in an endemic plague state

and there are human cases, usually transmitted by pets, every couple of years. There are likely other cases where people get antibiotics and never know they had it. It's very treatable now.

[yardwork]

5. It's treatable where antibiotics are available. About 2,000 people die each year of plague

according to the article. I'm sure that nearly 100% of them live in countries where even inexpensive antibiotics are too expensive.

[Warpy]

6. Or in countries where people go to curanderas

or other folk healers first, delaying treatment until it's too late.

We have cases like that every few years, but deaths from plague are rare here.

[Bake]

4. What could go wrong with that???

Don't worry, be happy!

:hi:

Bake

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Thanks, was going to post this ...

I had recently read a book ("Justinian's Flea" - http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780670038558-0) about the 6th-century plague, which turned out to be the most informative I had read about the Black Plague (I haven't tried reading any technical stuff, just pop science -- oh, and Connie Willis's "Doomsday Book"). Now it turns out that there may not have been much of a connection. :shrug: