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