Bubonic Plague: A Great Challenge for Humankind

Introduction

Bubonic plague is a very lethal and infectious disease. It is usually caused by a bacteria which is known as Yersinia pestis. This bacteria is found in some animals and mostly in rodents and their fleas.

It is a dangerous disease that can affect anyone who gets infected by this bacteria. The name of the disease comes after the symptoms that it causes like swollen lymph nodes or buboes, usually at the trunk and the thigh area. According to research done on this disease, it is found that the patient would take around one to seven days to get the symptoms after getting exposed to this disease.

These are some common symptoms that you can find when you are facing this disease; like fever, headaches and vomiting. You can also find painful and swollen lymph nodes occurring in the area where the bacteria enter the skin. Occasionally these lymph nodes may break open. There are three types of plagues that result in infection.

Those are bubonic plague, septicemic plague and pneumonic plague. Small infected animals and fleas spread bubonic plague. It may also be caused by exposure to the body fluids of dead plague-infected animals.

According to some researchers, it was found that this disease enters into the body through the skin by fleabites and travels through lymphatic vessels to the lymph nodes and causes it to swell. The diagnosis for this disease is made by finding the bacteria by testing blood, fluid or sputum from the lymph nodes.

Research done on this bacteria revealed that between 2010 and 2015 there were about 3248 cases discovered in which around 584 deaths had taken place.

If we go back in history, we can find that this disease had caused major health hazards in many places. At that time it was known as the black death since people suffered with blackening of body parts like toes and fingers which happens when people are affected by this disease.

According to historians, it was found that during the 14th century this disease killed around 50 million people. This number is about 20-60% of the European population. This disease caused a turning point in the European economic development. In the 6th century, this infection also caused Justinian plague in the eastern Roman empire.

What does the Bubonic Plague do? What are its Symptoms?

When a person gets infected by bubonic plague he or she becomes ill after two to six days. This infection causes tender and enlarged lymph nodes that can seem like a chicken egg. Other common signs of this disease are fever, muscle aches, chills and tiredness.

This disease can also affect the lungs and cause coughing, chest pain and difficulty in breathing. This bacteria can sometimes cause septicaemia or sepsis by entering the bloodstream along with causing tissue damage, organ failure or even death in certain cases.

This infection is also known as buboes and the bacteria becomes localized in an inflamed lymph node and begins to colonize and reproduce. Buboes are generally found in the armpits, groin and neck region. Some of the signs and symptoms of this disease are mentioned below.

• Muscle cramps

• Chills

• Seizures

• High fever

• Feeling sick and swelling of lymph nodes

• The occurrence of pain before swelling of lymph nodes

• Gangrene of finger, toes, lips and the tip of the nose

Reasons Behind the Cause of Bubonic Plague

Bubonic plague is a dangerous infection of the lymphatic system. It is usually caused by infected fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis). The flea that causes this disease is a parasite that seeks out other prey when its host dies. This bacteria is absolutely harmless to the flea and allows the host to spread the bacteria.

This bacteria is present in the gut of the flea and gets to others when they regurgitate ingested blood. Once this bacteria gets established it rapidly spreads to lymph nodes and then multiplies. There are different types of ways by which people can get this infection as mentioned below.

• By touching infected animals like rats and mice.

• By inhaling infected respiratory droplets that are spread by infected people or animals.

• One of the most common ways of getting this disease is due to the bites of infected fleas.

To be safe and protected from this disease you should keep your pets protected since they can be infected by the bites of fleas or by eating the infected rodents.

If you have any cuts on your skin and are in close contact with an infected person then there is a high risk for you to get this infection.

This infection was spreading in certain areas of China and hence hunting and eating of animals were banned there to prevent the disease from spreading.

People should take care while preparing the body of any person who dies from this infection since close contact with the dead body can transmit the infection.

Treatment for Bubonic Plague

The use of antibiotics is very effective in treating the bubonic plague. It is considered a very vital aspect in treating this infection. If this disease is left untreated it can cause lethal damage to the body.

Since it can create a life-threatening condition, early diagnosis will help to save lives.

There are a variety of antibiotics that can be used for treating this disease like gentamicin, streptomycin, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin. The mortality rate related to the treated cases of bubonic plague is 1-15% compared to untreated cases which are 40-60%.

When a person is affected by this disease the person should be provided with immediate treatment of antibiotics within 24 hours to prevent death. The other treatment procedures related to bubonic plague are oxygen, intravenous fluids and proper respiratory support. Any person who comes in contact with an infected person is given prophylactic antibiotics.

Conclusion

Bubonic plague still remains a nightmare for the whole world. It has always come as a surprise and a great challenge for humanity. You can find its traces in the long history of the world. The plague of Justinian is known as the first plague pandemic that affected the Sassanian empire and their rivals the eastern Roman empire. It had caused the death of 20-50 million people.

After the plague of Justinian, the trace of this infection can be found in the last middle ages where people termed it the Black death. This disease can't be dealt with normally like other diseases. If you have any symptoms related to this, go see your doctor and take effective treatment immediately since it is a life threatening disease. Therefore keeping yourselves clean is very important. Using good soaps, shower gels and shampoos also helps to neutralize the disease-causing germs to stay safe and healthy.

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