For a long time, rats have taken the heat for the waves of plague that killed millions of people across Europe starting in the 14th century.
But now suspicion is falling on another rodent with a much cuddlier reputation: the gerbil.
The rats that save lives
Photos: The rats that save lives
A team of scientists from Norway and Switzerland are challenging the widely held view that communities of rats in Europe played host to the fleas carrying the disease for hundreds of years.