U.s. Department of the Interior

Bibliography of Literature Pertaining to Plague (Yersinia Pestis) U.s. Department of the Interior

Plague is an acute and often fatal zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis mainly cycles between small mammals and their fleas; however, it has the potential to infect humans and frequently causes fatalities if left untreated. It is often considered a disease of the past; however, since the late 1800s, plague?s geographic range has expanded greatly, posing new threats in previously unaffected regions of the world, including the Western United States.