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is for... Rats
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Rats were and still are a key factor in the spread of plague. During the Black Death it was man's close association with the rat that enabled the disease to spread so quickly. Rats serve as a storehouse for the plague virus, which fleas then transmit to humans. Improved sanitation and the increased seperation between humans and rats have helped to eliminate the rat as a factor in the spread of disease. |
Diagram courtesy of Virgina Tech
entomology department
Last updated: Aug. 31, 2000