Bubonic plague is among the most feared diseases in human history, not only because of its death toll but also for its consequential impact on the way of life and economic endeavour of human society. Every few hundred years the advance of a pandemic has raised impotent fear, until the early 20th century when microbiological research solved the mystery of how it is transmitted to its victims, opening the way to protective measures.

中文翻译：

---

鼠疫传播的难题

鼠疫是人类历史上最令人恐惧的疾病之一，不仅因为其死亡人数众多，而且还因为其对人类生活方式和经济社会的影响。大流行的每隔几百年就加剧了无力的恐惧，直到20世纪初，微生物学研究才解决了如何将其传播给受害者的谜团，为采取保护措施开辟了道路。