From a bad salad to the Black Death: evolution of a killer

Scimex: Scientists have pinpointed the exact genetic point at which the bug behind the Black Death which killed 75 to 200 million people in Europe in the 14th Century - Yersinia pestis - evolved from a relatively benign gastric bug into a deadly killer. The researchers found that ancient types of the bacteria, after swapping genetic material, gained a gene that made them cause pneumonic plague. Later, another genetic change made them highly infectious - resulting in bacteria that are not only deadly but have the potential for pandemic spread.

FDA approves additional antibacterial treatment for plague

FDA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Avelox (moxifloxacin) to treat patients with plague, a rare and potentially fatal bacterial infection. The agency approval for plague includes use of the drug for the treatment of pneumonic plague (infection of the lungs), and septicemic plague (infection of the blood). Avelox is also approved for prevention of plague in adult patients.

Bubonic Bottleneck: UNC scientists overturn dogma on the plague

UNC. US: The current outbreak of the plague in Madagascar shines a light on the need for new approaches to treat the ancient pathogen. A new UNC study unexpectedly unravels a long-held theory on how a fleabite leads to infection.