Researchers have uncovered the oldest confirmed case of the plague outside Eurasia in an ancient Egyptian mummy.

An over 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy who may have died of the bubonic plague marks the first case of the disease outside the Eurasian continent.

Usually transmitted by fleas hitching a ride on rodents, the bubonic plague attacks the lymphatic system, and initially results in flu-like symptoms a few days after infection. From there, things often get far more grim—and fatal.

Researchers found the first evidence of the bubonic plague outside of Europe and Asia in an Egyptian mummy housed in Turin, Italy.