Lauren and JJ discuss one of the most fatal pandemics in history. This episode contains a detailed review of the Black Death pandemic, which occurred from 1346-1353, as well as the causative organism, Yersinia pestis and its life cycle. References: Black Death. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death Benedictow, O. J. (2005, March). The Black Death: The greatest catastrophe ever. History Today, 55(3). https://www.historytoday.com/archive/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1984, August 31). Plague pneumonia—California. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 33(34), 481–483. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000394.htm DeBess, E., Coyle, K., Fawcett, R., Hamade, A. K., & Cieslak, P. R. (2025, July 17). Notes from the field: Early-season human plague transmitted from an infected cat—Oregon, January 2024. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 74(26), 430–431. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7426a2.htm Glatter, K. A., & Finkelman, P. (2021). History of the plague: An ancient pandemic for the age of COVID-19. The American Journal of Medicine, 134(2), 176–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019 HISTORY.com Editors. (2026, September 15). Black Death. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/black-death Oriental rat flea. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_rat_flea Rufus of Ephesus. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_of_Ephesus Schaffer, P. A., Brault, S. A., Hershkowitz, C., Harris, L., Dowers, K., House, J., Aboellail, T. A., Morley, P. S., & Daniels, J. B. (2019). Pneumonic plague in a dog and widespread potential human exposure in a veterinary hospital, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 25(4), 800–803. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2504.181195 Science Museum. (n.d.). Bubonic plague: The first pandemic. https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/bubonic-plague-first-pandemic Yersinia pestis. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis Rothrock, K., & Morgan, R. V. (2023). Plague, Zoonotic, Feline. VINCyclopedia. www.vin.com Rothrock, K., & Morgan, R. V. (2023). Plague, Zoonotic, Canine. VINCyclopedia. www.vin.com