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YERSINIA PESTIS
- The infectious agent of bubonic plague (also known as Black Plague); formerly known as pasteurella pestis, the bacterium was named after one of its co-discoverers, Alexandre Yersin, and was responsible for decimating the human population of Europe in the Middle Ages; the plague, transmitted to humans by the bite of fleas that have fed on infected animals, mostly rodents, is treatable with antibiotics, but can lead to death if not treated promptly.
- Usage: Report on several vials of Black Plague reported missing from a laboratory at Texas Tech University; they were eventually discovered to have been destroyed.
Source: Derived from Wikipedia on-line dictionary and the National Cancer Institute On-line Medical Dictionary.
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