Lessons from the plague

What if the great pandemics could die out naturally?

That's what Javier Pizarro-Cerda, head of the Yersinia unit at the Institut Pasteur, has been studying by following the trail... of the plague!

By analyzing the Yersinia pestis bacterium responsible for bubonic plague, his team has identified a genetic mutation that reappears at the end of every pandemic in history.

This mutation makes the bacterium less virulent, but more persistent, until it replaces the most severe forms... and the epidemic dies out on its own.

A fascinating discovery, which could shed light on our understanding of current epidemics.

(video in french, English subtitles available)