Bubonic Plague

A Bubonic Plague is a plague disease that affects lymphatic systems through bacteria-induced inflammation (causing characteristic swollen lymph nodes called buboes).

• Context:
  • It can typically cause Infectious Disease Symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, and lymphadenopathy within one to seven day incubation periods.
  • It can typically develop characteristic buboes in lymph nodes closest to the infection entry point.
  • It can typically spread via flea bites carrying Yersinia pestis bacteria from infected animals to human hosts.
  • It can typically affect small mammal populations as disease reservoirs before human transmission.
  • It can typically lead to death in 30 to 90 percent of untreated cases within ten day progression periods.
  • ...
  • It can often cause acral necrosis resulting in dark skin discoloration in affected patients.
  • It can often be diagnosed through bacteria identification in blood samples, sputum, or lymph node fluid.
  • It can often be treated using antibiotic therapy including streptomycin, gentamicin, and doxycycline.
  • It can often reduce mortality rates to approximately 10 percent with proper treatment.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Localized Bubonic Plague to being a Systemic Bubonic Plague, depending on its disease progression stage.
  • It can range from being a Mild Bubonic Plague to being a Severe Bubonic Plague, depending on its bacterial load and host immune response.
  • ...
  • It can be distinguished from Septicemic Plague and Pneumonic Plague by its primary infection pathway and symptom presentation.
  • It can be prevented through public health measures such as rodent control, flea management, and avoiding contact with dead animals in endemic areas.
  • It can be monitored through public health surveillance systems in endemic regions such as Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Historical Bubonic Plague Pandemics, such as:
    • Black Death Bubonic Plague (1347-1351), characterized by massive mortality rates of 25 to 60 percent of the European population.
    • Plague of Justinian Bubonic Plague (541-549 CE), originating in the Eastern Roman Empire with significant population reduction.
    • Third Pandemic Bubonic Plague (1855-1960s), affecting China, Mongolia, and India from its Yunnan Province origin.
  • Regional Bubonic Plague Outbreaks, such as:
    • Modern Madagascar Bubonic Plague Outbreaks with recurring seasonal patterns.
    • American Southwest Bubonic Plague Clusters affecting rural populations through rodent contact.
    • Democratic Republic of Congo Bubonic Plague Zones with persistent endemic transmission.
  • Bubonic Plague Transmission Paths, such as:
    • Rodent-Flea-Human Bubonic Plague Transmission Cycle as the primary infection route.
    • Direct Contact Bubonic Plague Transmission through infected animal fluid exposure.
    • Vector-borne Bubonic Plague Spread through multiple flea species.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Septicemic Plague, which enters directly into the bloodstream rather than causing primary lymphatic infection.
  • Pneumonic Plague, which primarily affects the lungs and spreads through respiratory droplets rather than flea vectors.
  • Typhus, which presents with similar fever and rash but is caused by Rickettsia bacteria rather than Yersinia pestis.
• See: Bubo, Infectious Disease (Medical Specialty), Fever, Headache, Vomiting, Lymphadenopathy, Yersinia Pestis, Fleas, Sputum, Streptomycin, Gentamicin, Wikt:Βουβών.

---

---

References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubonic_plague Retrieved:2024-8-19.
  • Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well as swollen and painful lymph nodes occurring in the area closest to where the bacteria entered the skin. Acral necrosis, the dark discoloration of skin, is another symptom. Occasionally, swollen lymph nodes, known as "buboes", may break open.

    The three types of plague are the result of the route of infection: bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague is mainly spread by infected fleas from small animals. It may also result from exposure to the body fluids from a dead plague-infected animal. Mammals such as rabbits, hares, and some cat species are susceptible to bubonic plague, and typically die upon contraction. In the bubonic form of plague, the bacteria enter through the skin through a flea bite and travel via the lymphatic vessels to a lymph node, causing it to swell. Diagnosis is made by finding the bacteria in the blood, sputum, or fluid from lymph nodes.

    Prevention is through public health measures such as not handling dead animals in areas where plague is common. While vaccines against the plague have been developed, the World Health Organization recommends that only high-risk groups, such as certain laboratory personnel and health care workers, get inoculated. Several antibiotics are effective for treatment, including streptomycin, gentamicin, and doxycycline. Without treatment, plague results in the death of 30% to 90% of those infected. Death, if it occurs, is typically within 10 days. With treatment, the risk of death is around 10%. Globally between 2010 and 2015 there were 3,248 documented cases, which resulted in 584 deaths. The countries with the greatest number of cases are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Peru. The plague is considered the likely cause of the Black Death that swept through Asia, Europe, and Africa in the 14th century and killed an estimated 50 million people, including about 25% to 60% of the European population. Because the plague killed so many of the working population, wages rose due to the demand for labor. Some historians see this as a turning point in European economic development. The disease is also considered to have been responsible for the Plague of Justinian, originating in the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century CE, as well as the third epidemic, affecting China, Mongolia, and India, originating in the Yunnan Province in 1855. The term bubonic is derived from the Greek word βουβών, meaning .

---