BUBONIC PLAGUE
- Bubonic plague, also known as "Black Death" in historical references, is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. While historically devastating, with outbreaks like the Black Death causing immense loss of life, modern medicine has made bubonic plague highly treatable and curable
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), humans can be infected in one of three ways — “the bite of infected vector fleas”, “unprotected contact with infectious bodily fluids or contaminated materials” (like bitten by an infected rat), and “the inhalation of respiratory droplets/small particles from a patient with pneumonic plague”
- Bubonic plague epidemics became a thing of the past by the 1930s. Today, according to the CDC, a couple of thousand plague cases are reported worldwide each year, mostly in Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru. Fatality is roughly 11 per cent
- This is because of modern antibiotics, which are fairly capable of dealing with the danger posed by Y pestis, as well as better hygiene and understanding of the disease. According to the CDC, all forms of plague are treatable with common antibiotics, with early treatment drastically improving chances of survival
- Even though Y pestis can still occur almost anywhere, and can be fatal to individuals, a larger pandemic echoing the Black Death is thus pretty much impossible
- Symptoms of the plague can manifest in various ways. Specifically, bubonic plague occurs when bacteria infiltrates the lymph nodes, resulting in fever, headache, weakness, and painful swollen lymph nodes. This typically occurs due to the bite of an infected flea, as noted by the United States' Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- If the bacteria enters the bloodstream, it leads to septicemic plague, often following untreated bubonic plague and causing more severe symptoms such as abdominal pain, shock, skin bleeding, and blackening of appendages, primarily fingers, toes, or the nose. The CDC states that septicemic plague can arise from flea bites or handling an infected animal.
- Pneumonic plague is the most perilous form and is deemed "almost always fatal" by the World Health Organization (WHO) if left untreated.
- This variant occurs when the bacteria enters the lungs, resulting in rapidly developing pneumonia in addition to other symptoms.
- The CDC highlights that pneumonic plague is the sole form of the disease that can be transmitted from person to person through inhaling infectious droplets, making it the most contagious
The Black Death stands as the most lethal disease outbreak in history until the occurrence of the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918-20. Considering the considerably lower population levels during the 14th century, the Black Death remains, by some calculations, the most devastating outbreak ever, potentially eradicating up to half of Europe's population.
Its aftermath had a profound and enduring impact on the survivors. A study reported in the journal Nature in 2022 revealed that specific genetic mutations enhanced the likelihood of survival by approximately 40 percent
Unfortunately, this mutation, which has since been passed, has been directly linked to the incidence of certain autoimmune diseases — meaning what happened 700 years ago might be impacting your health today
5. Way forward
The disease was quickly detected and the person received antibiotics for treatment. The contacts of the person and the cat were tracked down and also given the treatment. The cat was also treated but did not survive.
Between 1346 and 1353, the bubonic plague killed as many as 50 million in Europe in what is known as the Black Death. So, is the latest discovered case a cause for concern?
Source: Indianexpress
