Bubonic Plague Essay, Research Paper

Bubonic Plague

The disease is called the Bubonic Plague. It is caused by the bacteria

Bacillus. Also now known as the “Bubonic plague”. It is a plague because of

its widespread fatality throughout history. The cause of this disease is the

Yersinia petis bacterium. The Bubonic plague is transmitted from fleas to

humans. You can contract the disease either by being bitten by the oriental

flea, Xenopsylla Cheopis, or be exposed to plague infected tissue.

The “Bubonic Plague” has an incubation period of 2 to 6 days. Within a week the

body?s temperature rises to 104 degrees F. Shortly after they show signs of a

fever other symptoms come about which are delirium, mental disorganization,

shivering, vomiting, headache, giddiness, intolerance to light, and a white

coating on your tongue. The symptoms become worse as the disease spread through

the bloodstream and lymphatic system. The later symptoms, as you begin to

experience the last stages of the disease, are your back starts to hurt and

painful swelling of your lymph nodes. Hard lumps filled with blood and puss

called “boboes”,from which the disease gets it name, form on various parts of

your lymphatic system, such as your neck, inner thigh, groin, and armpits.

This stage is the most painful. Blood vessels break and later the dry blood

turns black underneath your skin.

The treatment for the plague is a vaccine that lasts 6 months. You can use the

preferred vaccine Streptomycin, or gentamicin, teracyclines, or chloramphenicol

are all good substitutes. The treatment must start within 15 hours of the first

symptom of death is inevitable.

Some special characteristics of this disease are you can be any age to contract

it, it is most common is unsanitary condition, or where there are an abundance

of rodents and if untreated death will occur within 3 days. The most amazing

fact about this disease is that it has killed over 75 million people over the

centuries.