Editing Plague (disease) (section)

==Epidemiology==
{{Main|Epidemiology of plague}}
[[File:World distribution of plague 1998.PNG|thumb|upright=1.6|Distribution of plague-infected animals 1998]]
Globally about 600 cases are reported a year.<ref name=WHO2017/> In 2017, the countries with the most cases include the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Madagascar]] and [[Peru]].<ref name=WHO2017/> It has historically occurred in large [[outbreaks]], with the best known being the [[Black Death]] in the 14th century which resulted in more than 50 million dead.<ref name=WHO2017/> In recent years, cases have been distributed between small seasonal outbreaks which occur primarily in Madagascar, and sporadic outbreaks or isolated cases in endemic areas.<ref name="WHO2017" />

In 2022 the possible origin of all modern strands of ''Yersinia pestis'' DNA was found in human remains in three graves located in [[Kyrgyzstan]], dated to 1338 and 1339. The [[siege of Caffa]] in Crimea in 1346, is known to have been the first plague outbreak with following strands, later to spread over Europe. Sequencing DNA compared to other ancient and modern strands paints a family tree of the bacteria. Bacteria today affecting [[marmots]] in Kyrgyzstan, are closest to the strand found in the graves, suggesting this is also the location where plague transferred from animals to humans.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2324597-origin-of-black-death-finally-found-in-bacteria-from-kyrgyzstan-graves/ | title=Origin of Black Death finally found in bacteria from Kyrgyzstan graves }}</ref>