researchers identify bacterium behind 1,500-year-old pandemic mystery.
For the first time, scientists have obtained direct genomic evidence of the bacterium responsible for the Plague of Justinian, the earliest known pandemic in recorded history. The outbreak, which struck the Eastern Mediterranean nearly 1,500 years ago, has now been firmly tied to Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that causes plague.
An international team led by researchers at the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University, working with partners in India and Australia, identified Y. pestis in human remains from a mass grave at the ancient city of Jerash in Jordan, close to the heart of the pandemic. This pivotal discovery confirms the bacterium’s role in the Justinian Plague (AD 541–750), resolving a mystery that has lingered for centuries.
For hundreds of years, scholars debated the origins of the catastrophic outbreak that killed tens of millions, reshaped the Byzantine Empire, and altered the trajectory of Western history. Although written accounts hinted at plague, no biological proof had been available, leaving a critical gap in the narrative of pandemics.
Now, two newly released papers led by USF and FAU provide that missing proof, offering fresh insight into one of humanity’s most transformative health crises. The findings also highlight plague’s continued presence today: although uncommon, Y. pestis still circulates globally. In July, a resident of northern Arizona died from pneumonic plague, the deadliest form of the disease and the first U.S. fatality since 2007, followed just a week later by a confirmed case in California.
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