Researchers confirmed Yersinia pestis caused the Justinian Plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic 1,500 years ago.
They traced the deadly bacterium to its epicentre for the first time.
Scientists found Y. pestis in a mass grave beneath Jerash ruins in Jordan.
The discovery provides the first direct biological evidence of the Justinian Plague.
Justinian Plague’s Devastation
The Justinian Plague began in 541 CE and swept across the eastern Mediterranean and Byzantine Empire.
Historians estimate it killed 15 to 100 million people over two centuries of recurring outbreaks.
Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium behind the Black Death, caused the pandemic.
The bacterium spreads through fleas on rodents, especially rats, and can transmit directly via pneumonic infection.
Ancient DNA Reveals Outbreak Patterns
Researchers examined eight human teeth from Jerash burial chambers using advanced DNA techniques.
The DNA revealed almost identical Y. pestis strains, confirming the bacterium’s presence between 550 and 660 AD.
Findings suggest the outbreak spread quickly, aligning with historical accounts of mass fatalities.
Jerash, a major trade hub, became a mass cemetery, showing urban centres were overwhelmed.
Plague’s Persistent Threat
Related studies show Y. pestis circulated among humans for millennia before Justinian’s outbreak.
Later pandemics, including the Black Death, arose independently from animal reservoirs, not a single source.
Lead researcher Rays HY Jiang warned plague evolves continuously and remains a global health threat.
He compared its persistence to COVID, emphasizing that containment cannot fully eliminate the risk.
