More Chinese cultural diffusion...THE BLACK PLAGUE

Well Europeans can thank China not only for pasta, gunpowder, and kung fu movies, but new research has concluded that the major plagues to afflict Europe had their origins in China.

Quite fascinating how these geneticists and biologists traced the critter back through time and space to come to their conclusions.

Follow the spice road

The great waves of plague that twice devastated Europe and changed the course of history had their origins in China, a team of medical geneticists reported Sunday, as did a third plague outbreak that struck less harmfully in the 19th century.