Ancient DNA reveals recurring plague waves across Europe after the Black Death

New ancient-DNA analysis of 75 plague genomes from 14th–18th century Europe shows the Black Death did not end plague: Yersinia pestis repeatedly re-entered Europe, spreading in waves and diversifying into three major branches around 1450–1500. The outbreaks align with major conflicts and trade routes, and climate-driven rodent reservoirs likely shaped spread. A novel dating method, Phylogenetically Informed Radiocarbon Modeling (PhIRM), tightens links between genomes and historical outbreaks, revealing a long but fluctuating Second Plague Pandemic that persisted for centuries before waning.