A HUMAN case of the bubonic plague has appeared in the UK, according to new figures.
The horror bug that previously wiped out half of Europe in the Black Death is already on Britain’s priority pathogens list.
Covid jab scientists are currently racing to develop a vaccine over fears the disease could re-emerge and kill millions.
“We do see occasional cases,” Prof Paul Hunter, an expert in medicine at the University of East Anglia told The Sun.
“Most cases are due to people coming into close contact with wild rodents whilst being overseas.
“Usually it’s because of people not understanding that even cute looking wild animals should be kept at arm’s length. It is spread by fleas.”
The new case was reported in the latest edition of the Notification of Infectious Diseases (NOIDS) report, which tracks suspected infectious disease cases in England and Wales for the week ending March 23, 2025.
It does not specify any details of the person suspected to have the bug.
The last major outbreak of bubonic plague in the UK occurred in Suffolk in 1918.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates there are between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of plague around the world every year.
The disease is easily treatable with modern medicine – but left untreated, most of those infected will die within a week.
In the 14th Century, the Black Death – a collection of plagues including the bubonic plague – tore through the globe, making it the most deadly recorded pandemic in history.
It killed 200million people across Africa, Asia and Europe, wiping out 60 per cent of Europe’s population in its path.
Though many believe the medieval disease is long gone, some countries still suffer deadly outbreaks of the bubonic plague due to animals carrying the bacteria.
The plague has been reported in the United States, Peru, China, Bolivia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Russia.
