Essay/Term paper: Bubonic plague

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Medicine

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.