Bubonic Plague Strikes In Mongolia: Why Is It Still A Threat?
In Mongolia, a couple died of bubonic plague on May 1 after reportedly hunting marmots, large rodents that can harbor the bacterium that causes the disease, and eating the animal’s raw meat and kidneys – which some Mongolians believe is good for their health. The next time the flea goes for a blood meal, it pukes into whatever animal it’s feeding on (usually a rodent), spreading the bacteria. Markman hypothesizes that when ground-dwelling rodents, like marmots and prairie dogs, dig in the soil, they may encounter the bacterium, then spread it through fleas.
Source: www.npr.org