Las Plagas are a breed of parasitic creatures that have appeared in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. Their name is derived from plaga, the Spanish word for plague. Originally, these organisms were discovered centuries ago in rural Spain by a religious society known as Los Illuminados ("The Enlightened Ones"), who used the parasites to gain new members. The Salazars - a regal family - sealed the Plaga away underground after they witnessed the parasites' effects on people.