A plague outbreak occurred among hunter-gatherers in Siberia approximately 5,500 years ago. The oldest known evidence of plague dates back approximately 5,500 years. The discovery of plague in Siberian hunter-gatherers challenges the theory that plague coincided with the rise of agriculture. According to the Nypost, the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis was present in human remains from Siberia 5,500 years ago. According to the SCMP, the plague outbreak in Siberia occurred at least 200 years earlier than previously thought. According to the SCMP, the plague has been responsible for major pandemics in human history, including the Black Death. According to the SCMP, the plague is still present today and is treatable with antibiotics.