What role did rats play in the Black Death?

Answer by  John (9008)

The plague, which is the disease that caused the black death, is generally spread by blood. The rats would carry it, and fleas on the rats would transfer it from the rats to people.

Answer by  janeplowmanwindstreamnet (292)

The Black Death was carried by the fleas on the rats. The people in those times were scared of witchcraft. Cats were associated with witches, so they did not want cats around. Without cats, the rat population exploded. Everyone had rats in their homes, and the fleas on the rats bit the people. Plus the Black Death was highly contagious.

Answer by  Tracy74 (229)

Rat carried lice on them. The lice they would get into the house and bedding. People would get the lice on them. The lice would bite the people and transmit the illness.

Answer by  marhut4381 (131)

Rats helped to spread the disease by carrying the infected fleas to different areas where the fleas would bite other rats and the rats would bite humans.

Answer by  kashin7 (345)

One probable explanation for how the Black Death was primarily spread is through mites, which lived on the rats. There was a lack of rodent control due to the contemporaneous banishment and mass extermination of cats because of cats' association with witches as familiars.

Answer by  cafish (2035)

They carried the flea that had the Black Death and other diseases. They jumped from the rats to humans and other animals. Entire households died from the plague and caused panic among the citizens.

Answer by  dyingneko (199)

Somehow rats traveled in the ships and then they have spread around continents. A lot of them where dirty and carried a lot of diseases.