Bubonic Plague - Transmission Of Bubonic Plague Bacteria, Symptoms Of Bubonic Plague, Plague Pandemics, Prevention
disease contagious
Bubonic plague is a contagious, deadly disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Sometimes referred to simply as "the plague," this disease has played a major role in world history. Because plague is highly contagious, it is easily transmitted from one person to another. Worldwide epidemics of the disease (called pandemics) have decimated populations since A.D. 542, when the first evidence of plague was recorded. Plague is rarely seen in the United States today, but is still epidemic in Southeast Asia.
Additional Topics
In humans, plague can take two forms. One form, called the bubonic form, usually results from a flea bite and is characterized by a sore called a bubo. The bubo is actually the infected lymph node that drains the area through which the bacteria was introduced by the infected flea. The lymph node enlarges and turns black. Other symptoms of this form of plague include fever and congestion of the blo…
The next great plague pandemic occurred in the fourteenth century in Europe, Central Asia, the North East, India, and China. In this pandemic, trading ships from China carried infected rats to Europe. About 25 million people in Europe alone died from plague; some experts estimate that this number constitutes a third of the European population. Because so many people died,
The Plague of 1665. Ma…
Plague pandemics can be prevented by the disinfection of ships, aircraft, and persons who are known to have the plague. The classic route of transmission that leads to pandemics is the transportation of infected rodents aboard transcontinental vehicles. Since many countries have instituted rigorous disinfection practices for ships and planes, plague cases have dropped dramatically. If a person is …
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User Comments
about 2 years ago
Connie Loftus
So plague is initially brought by fleas, but can then be transmitted from person to person?
almost 4 years ago
Why can't you put moe information on where it came from? Or how it started? Maybe explain how the disease takes affect on people and the immune system.