Oldest-known plague outbreak came 5,500 years ago in Siberia

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Ancient DNA analysis reveals that the oldest known plague outbreak occurred 5,500 years ago in Siberia, identifying strains of the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This finding sheds light on the long history of plague infections prior to historic pandemics.

Researchers said ancient DNA revealed presence of strains of Yersinia pestis, the plague bacterium