Pestis (Noun)
Meaning
A serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.
- The bubonic plague is primarily a disease of rodents, transmitted to humans indirectly by the bites of fleas infected with Yersinia pestis.
- Throughout human history, Yersinia pestis has caused dozens of epidemics, claiming millions of lives worldwide.
- Infected fleas that feed on rodents with Yersinia pestis can accidentally transmit the pestis to humans through their bites.
- Historical studies have confirmed that Yersinia pestis, present in rodents, was the primary cause of the devastating Black Death in Europe during the 14th century.