Bethany Brookshire

But they weren't considered to be disgusting in terms of they weren't considered to carry disease for a very long time. The association of rats with disease is a relatively recent one.

It intersects with the plague, but not when you think it does. So there have been three major pandemics of plague that we know of in recorded history. The first was the Plague of Justinian, which I believe was in the 6th century. The second was the Black Death, which was famous and began in the 14th century. The third global pandemic of bubonic plague is now.

It intersects with the plague, but not when you think it does. So there have been three major pandemics of plague that we know of in recorded history. The first was the Plague of Justinian, which I believe was in the 6th century. The second was the Black Death, which was famous and began in the 14th century. The third global pandemic of bubonic plague is now.

It intersects with the plague, but not when you think it does. So there have been three major pandemics of plague that we know of in recorded history. The first was the Plague of Justinian, which I believe was in the 6th century. The second was the Black Death, which was famous and began in the 14th century. The third global pandemic of bubonic plague is now.

It began in the 19th century, but it persists even now. Actually, people every year in the United States, in Mongolia and in Madagascar in particular get plague.

It began in the 19th century, but it persists even now. Actually, people every year in the United States, in Mongolia and in Madagascar in particular get plague.

It began in the 19th century, but it persists even now. Actually, people every year in the United States, in Mongolia and in Madagascar in particular get plague.

The bubonic plague is technically not a disease of humans. It is a disease of rats and fleas that happens to spill over into humans from time to time with catastrophic effects.

The bubonic plague is technically not a disease of humans. It is a disease of rats and fleas that happens to spill over into humans from time to time with catastrophic effects.

The bubonic plague is technically not a disease of humans. It is a disease of rats and fleas that happens to spill over into humans from time to time with catastrophic effects.

What we do know is that fleas get Yersinia pestis and then the bacteria forms a biofilm inside the esophagus of the rat flea. And the biofilm coats the esophagus so that the rat flea can't swallow. It's just biting and biting and biting and biting, but it can't swallow anything and it starves to death.

What we do know is that fleas get Yersinia pestis and then the bacteria forms a biofilm inside the esophagus of the rat flea. And the biofilm coats the esophagus so that the rat flea can't swallow. It's just biting and biting and biting and biting, but it can't swallow anything and it starves to death.

What we do know is that fleas get Yersinia pestis and then the bacteria forms a biofilm inside the esophagus of the rat flea. And the biofilm coats the esophagus so that the rat flea can't swallow. It's just biting and biting and biting and biting, but it can't swallow anything and it starves to death.

And you start to feel really bad for the flea until you realize that everything it bites, it's barfing up little bits of bacteria into the bite, spreading plague. So that's how plague is traditionally transmitted.

And you start to feel really bad for the flea until you realize that everything it bites, it's barfing up little bits of bacteria into the bite, spreading plague. So that's how plague is traditionally transmitted.

And you start to feel really bad for the flea until you realize that everything it bites, it's barfing up little bits of bacteria into the bite, spreading plague. So that's how plague is traditionally transmitted.

The fact that we're so quick to blame the rat says a lot about us.

The fact that we're so quick to blame the rat says a lot about us.

The fact that we're so quick to blame the rat says a lot about us.

I'm the author of the 2022 book, Pests, How Humans Create Animal Villains.