BLACK DEATH, THE PLAGUE, PESTILENCE
(Yersinia pestis)
IT'S ADORABLE! IT'S LOVABLE! IT'S POPULAR! And it killed 30%-60% of Europe's population in the mid 1300's in the worst pandemic in human history, going "Rock Star" viral (well, bacterial) long before there were Rock Stars...or going viral! The Beatles took over the world with screaming teenagers. THE PLAGUE did it with rats, mice, and fleas! The Beatles have sold countless T-shirts. If PESTILENCE hadn't been so busy killing everyone, it would have sold plenty, especially as BLACK DEATH! We have recovered and moved on from The Beatles. It took 200 years for Europe to recover from THE PLAGUE. Lately, THE PLAGUE has been laying low, continuing its old ways, notably in the western U.S., where warning signs can be found in many National Parks, where those cute little Ground Squirrels live (along with their infected fleas), begging for treats from unsuspecting tourists. Lately, Pumas in the Yellowstone area have been dying from THE PLAGUE.