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Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death

Ancient DNA reveals that plague was already killing hunter-gatherers in Siberia 5,500 years ago, long before cities and flea-driven epidemics. The prehistoric strains may have been especially dangerous because they carried a genetic factor capable of provoking severe immune reactions.

  • Plague existed 5,500 years ago in East Siberia's hunter-gatherer groups
  • 40% of tested individuals had plague DNA, higher than medieval sites
  • Ancient plague strains were highly lethal, contained superantigen

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