Learn about different types of plague, in this episode of Gross Science from NOVA. Plague, an infectious disease, is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is endemic in rodents in the western United States and in many countries around the world. People can be infected when bitten by a flea that has also bitten an infected animal. If the disease is left untreated, the bacteria can spread to your lungs, causing pneumonic plague—the deadliest form of infection. In the past, the plague killed about 66 percent of infected people in the United States; however, it is now highly treatable with antibiotics. This resource is part of the NOVA: Gross Science Collection.

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