Bubonic Plague

There are five different types of plague. The most common is the bubonic, there is the pneumonic, septicemic, meningeal, and pharyngeal. The bubonic plague is a bacterium infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Some people may know the bubonic plague also referred to as the Black Death. Which is what wiped out about 25 million people during the fourteenth century. About half of Europe’s population died from the Black Death, or bubonic plague.

The bubonic plague is a zoonotic disease. Meaning it is one of the diseases that can be spread from animals to people. Human to human spread is very rare. The plague is spread to humans from fleas that have been in contact with a rodent or animal that is infected with the Y. pestis bacteria. Animals that could be infected by the bacteria are mice, rats, or squirrels.

Symptoms

Symptoms of bubonic plague usually occur two to eight days after exposure. Bubonic plague gets its names from the swollen lymph nodes, or buboes. Lymph nodes may swell to the size of an egg and can ooze or leak pus. Other symptoms include sudden high fever with chills, pains in the abdomen, arms, or legs, and headaches.

If you leave the bubonic plague untreated it can lead to other types of plagues which can have additional symptoms. Pneumonic plague can cause respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath. Septicemic plague which is an infection that spreads through your whole body can lead to sepsis. Meningeal plague can cause a stiff neck. Pharyngeal plague can cause a sore throat along with the swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnosis

To diagnose the bubonic plague your doctor will need to take a few tests. They will want to take blood and tissue samples of the enlarged lymph nodes. The samples they collect will then be checked for in the laboratory for the Y. pestis bacteria.

Treatment

Unlike in medieval times when there was no cure for the bubonic plague, there are now antibiotics that can treat and cure the infection. It is important to try and seek treatment as soon as symptoms start so that you avoid any complications from arising. If left untreated bubonic plague can be fatal. Once diagnosed you will most likely be hospitalized then treated with different antibiotics. It is rare for the bacteria to be antibiotic resistant, so with a mixture of one or two antibiotics treatment should be successful. In some cases you may be put in an isolation unit of the hospital. Antibiotics that are successful in treating the bubonic plague are Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Gentamicin, and Doxycycline.

If left untreated the bubonic plague can be fatal. If left untreated it can create infection throughout the whole body turning into the septicemic plague. It can also infect the lungs, turning into pneumonic plague which can be fatal.

With treatment the outlook is good. Usually once treatment has started, especially if it is early treatment shortly after symptoms have started you will be recovering within one to two weeks. There are some ways you can help prevent the plague from coming in contact with you and your family. One is to make sure your house and your yard is inhospitable to rodents. This means keeping yards maintained, and cleaning up brush and overgrown areas of your yard. Don’t leave food out for them to have access too. Make sure on any house pets that you use good flea control. Pets that go in and out of the home, should never be allowed in beds with humans. Use protective clothing when handling dead animals. When you go out to the woods make sure you use insect repellant that has DEET in it.

Takeaway

There are about seven cases of the bubonic plague in the United States every year. It has never been completely eradicated as a disease. Diseases usually aren’t completely wiped out. There has been an increase in cases of bubonic plague which can have a few different reasons. The main reason there can be an increase is because of environmental factors. Nowadays with antibiotics that can easily treat the disease it is not likely for us to see another situation like back in the fourteenth century when millions were dying from the infection.