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Poor rats! They’ve been getting a bad rap since the 14th Century, when it was actually the cute and unassuming gerbil - a favourite family pet across the UK – who, according to new research, is to blame for outbreaks of Black Death across Europe from 1347-1353.

John Humphrys speaks to Professor Nils Christian Stenseth to find out more.

First broadcast on Today, 24 February 2015.