Rare Case Of Bubonic Plague In US, It Killed 50 Million In 14th Century
- Recently, officials in the US state of Oregon said they are dealing with a rare human case of bubonic plague that was likely transmitted by a pet cat.
Bubonic Plague
- Bubonic plague is one type of plague that gets its name from the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) caused by the disease.
- Plague is an infectious disease caused by a specific type of bacterium called Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacterium usually found in small mammals and their fleas.
- Called the Black Death, it killed millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages.
- Plague can be a very severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60% for the bubonic type, and is always fatal for the pneumonic kind when left untreated.
- Symptoms: The symptoms include
- Sudden high fever and chills
- Pain in the areas of the abdomen, arms, and legs
- Headaches
- Large and swollen lumps in the lymph nodes(buboes) that develop and leak pus.
- Transmission: It is transmitted between animals and humans
- By the bite of infected fleas
- Direct contact with infected tissues
- Inhalation of infected respiratory droplets.
- The incubation period of bubonic plague is usually 2 to 8 days.
- Treatment: It can be treated and cured with antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, Gentamicin and Doxycycline.
Prelims Takeaway
- Bubonic Plague