Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is endemic in certain regions due to a stable transmission cycle between rodents and their fleas. Here, Pauling et al. provide evidence for vertical transmission of plague bacteria in fleas, from adults to eggs and through all subsequent life stages, suggesting this might contribute to Y. pestis persistence in the environment without plague activity in mammals.
- Cassandra D. Pauling
- Brenda T. Beerntsen
- Deborah M. Anderson
