Re: Medieval Fleas

From: Inger E Johansson (inger_e.johansson_at_notelia.com)
Date: 07/31/04 

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 16:06:25 GMT

"Rodney Kelp" <Rodneykelp605@hotmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:AcOdnbjgbbq5KJbcRVn-hg@adelphia.com...
> I would like to know where the fleas got the plague from?
> Did they give it to the rats? Did the rats give it to the fleas?
> Who had it first and where did the originator get it from?

Not so long ago almost all scholars believe that the rats brought the fleas
with them and that the fleas had had it or rather their ancestors had had it
somewhere in Asia.
The rat theory is now put in question. There might be other than rats who
carried the plague infections on.

Inger E
>
> "Simon Pugh" <News@mrzsp.demonX.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:15lCHnEN31CBFwa3@mrzsp.demon.co.uk...
> > I am interested in the types of flea found in Europe during the period
> > of the plague epidemic in Europe from the Black Death onwards. I wonder
> > if flea exoskeletons from this period survive in the archaeological
> > record.
> >
> > I suspect they might as I have read that numerous example of human fleas
> > have been found. But how about other species particularly rat fleas?
> >
> > The reason for asking the question is that the WHO Plague Manual
> > suggests that Xenopsylla cheopis, the oriental rat flea associated with
> > plague, originated in Egypt and only spread from there in the 19th
> > century.
> >
> > Any help with references would be appreciated.
> > --
> > Simon Pugh
> >
> > Remove X for email
>
>
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