Rats Exonerated! Gerbils Actually Caused The Black Death

[Grabehn]

Its a rat minus the tail as far as average consumer is concerned. and hamsters are great pets. though some of them are ill tempered.

And yet I've known people that HATE hamsters for that very same reason, too small and a weird "lump" in the back, I doubt there'll be a rodent everyone likes.

Fin story, when I was a kid, there was this lady visiting my house and I didn't like much, and she didn't like rodents, so I released my hamster on the table and she turned and fell from her chair, I loved it.

 

[William Ossiss]

It has been known for years that rats weren't the cause of the Black Death...

Though this gerbil news is rather new to me.

Thought the main cause of the disease would probably be that no one was ever, truly, clean. Animals crapping in the streets. Chamber pots being poured into the streets. A whole load of fecal matter and urine just everywhere. You try staying healthy in those conditions.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Uh... It wasn't rats or gerbils. It was FLEAS. Fleas were responsible for the plague.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

It's kind of a tragic mix-up, too. Rats are generally more calm and make for great pets, but they carry that stigma of being "disease-ridden" so most parents would give an emphatic "Hell no" if their kid asked for one. Meanwhile Gerbils are fucking assholes that are more prone to aggression/biting, yet parents are more inclined to purchase them as pets for their kids because they have a reputation for being the cute ones.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

And now I'm picturing an alternate universe where Willard is about gerbils instead of rats.

 

[Pinkilicious]

Still don't get this article (seen it a lot around the web) the fleas where the problem, not which sodding rodent carried them

Huh, well this discussion was still quite interesting to me. I seem to recall mosquitoes having the blame the last time I read an article about the plague, but that was over a decade ago. :]

 

[A-D.]

Still don't get this article (seen it a lot around the web) the fleas where the problem, not which sodding rodent carried them

Actually, fleas do cross hosts, hence a flea from a rat can jump to a cat, a dog or a human. It is somewhat uncommon but entirely possible when their natural food-source is diminished or lacking. In an era where rats were common, cats were driven away and dogs were not even really a thing yet, well there's not many hosts for a flea to choose from when there's too many fleas around.

That being said, who thought it was rats these days? That was debunked ages ago. The scientists doing that research really deserve a "Late to the party" Sticker for that.

 

[Hoplon]

Still don't get this article (seen it a lot around the web) the fleas where the problem, not which sodding rodent carried them

Huh, well this discussion was still quite interesting to me. I seem to recall mosquitoes having the blame the last time I read an article about the plague, but that was over a decade ago. :]

Malaria maybe but plague? not that i have ever read.

Still don't get this article (seen it a lot around the web) the fleas where the problem, not which sodding rodent carried them

Actually, fleas do cross hosts, hence a flea from a rat can jump to a cat, a dog or a human. It is somewhat uncommon but entirely possible when their natural food-source is diminished or lacking. In an era where rats were common, cats were driven away and dogs were not even really a thing yet, well there's not many hosts for a flea to choose from when there's too many fleas around.

That being said, who thought it was rats these days? That was debunked ages ago. The scientists doing that research really deserve a "Late to the party" Sticker for that.

Sure, it was indeed the fleas crossing hoasts. Eyam [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam] got an out break with out ever seeing a single animal. Probably Fleas in the material.

 

[FalloutJack]

No no no no... Fleas. It was the fleas. All the fuzzy fellows were innocent.

Or, alternatively... Anybody here read Narbonic?[footnote]Curse you, Helen! Curse you, you gerbil-obseesed maniac![/footnote]