Go to Kentucky.gov home page   What is plague?  Plague is the
disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis (Y pestis). There
have been two great plague pandemics in the last 2000 years. 
The first, starting in Egypt in AD 541, killed nearly 50% of the
population.  The second pandemic earned the disease the
nicknames ‘Black Death’ or the ‘Great Pestilence’, killing
nearly one in three in Europe.  How is plague spread?  Fleas
that have become infected with the Yersinia pestis bacteria
transmit plague to humans and other mammals during the feeding
process.  Direct contact with infected tissues or fluids from
handling sick or dead animals can also spread the disease.
Another mode of transmission can be respiratory droplets from
rodents and humans with pneumonic plague.  Outbreaks in people
occur in areas where housing and sanitation conditions are
poor.  These outbreaks can occur in rural communities or in
cities.  They are usually associated with infected rats and rat
fleas that live in the home.  What are the