Yes, you can still get the bubonic plague

It’s less terrifying than you might think

Popular Science
Aug 14, 2017 · 5 min read
Bones from a cemetery for victims of the bubonic plague that ravaged Europe in the 14th century — AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

By Sara Chodosh

“Bubonic” is almost onomatopoeic. It sounds bulbous and grotesque and ancient. It sounds like something your great great grandmother might have contracted as a child, along with “the consumption.” So when headlines proclaim that the bubonic plague is alive in Arizona (or New Mexico…

Learn more.

Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours.

Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore

Share your thinking.

If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. Write on Medium

About

Help

Legal

Get the Medium app

A button that says 'Download on the App Store', and if clicked it will lead you to the iOS App store
A button that says 'Get it on, Google Play', and if clicked it will lead you to the Google Play store