bubonic plague

The scenes that have played out in India's financial capital this year with COVID-19 bear a striking resemblance to what life was like when the bubonic plague hit more than a century ago.

Authorities have censored Chinese-language news of the hospitalization of a couple who traveled from Mongolia to Beijing for treatment, perhaps to tamp down fears.

The ancient disease is still around — and killed a couple in Mongolia just this month. Here's a look at the history — and persistence — of the plague.

An estimated 2,000 people fell ill and more than 170 died. But the latest news is that cases are dwindling.

In medieval times, they called it "the black death." It's still around, routinely cropping up in the U.S. This time, the New Mexico Department of Health reports three cases.

Tom Nealon's new book searches through patchy historical records to trace subjects like how chocolate helped lead to war in the Caribbean, or the role a grain fungus played in the Crusades.

There's no widely available vaccine to prevent plague, an infectious bacterial disease that's carried by squirrels and other rodents.

Rats have had a bad reputation ever since they were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. But perhaps the blame was misplaced. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the roles of rodents.

Madagascar reports hundreds of plague cases each year. Health officials are concerned that this year's outbreak could grow rapidly now that it has reached a densely-populated city.

Quarantines have been imposed on the sick and contagious for thousands of years. We look at the use — and abuse — of this strategy to stop the spread of disease.