Context:
ā Recently, a new case of bubonic plague was detected in the USA.
About the Bubonic Plague:
ā It is often referred to as the āBlack Deathā.
ā It is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis which is usually found in small mammals and their fleas.
ā It occurs when the bacteria get into the lymph nodes.
ā Earlier, it occurred from 1346 to 1353, resulting in the deaths of as many as 50 million people in Europe.
Transmission:
ā Humans can contract the plague in one of three ways:
ā The bite of infected fleas.
ā Unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
ā The inhalation of respiratory droplets/small particles from a patient with pneumonic plague.
Symptoms:
ā It can cause fever, headache, weakness, and painful, swollen lymph nodes. It usually happens from the bite of an infected flea.
ā Septicemic Plague: It happens if the bacteria enters the bloodstream, causing abdominal pain, shock, bleeding into the skin, and blackening of appendages, most often fingers, toes, or the nose.
ā Pneumonic Plague: This is the most dangerous form of the plague, and it happens when the bacteria enter the lungs.
ā It adds rapidly developing pneumonia to the list of symptoms.
Treatment:
ā All forms of the plague are treatable with common antibiotics, and people who seek treatment early have a better chance of a full recovery.
ā Sunlight and drying can kill plague bacteria on surfaces.
