The plague is a dangerous bacterial infection spread mostly by fleas. Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, dwells in small rodents found in rural and semi-rural areas of Africa, Asia, and the United States. Humans are infected when they are bitten by fleas that have eaten infected rodents or when they handle diseased animals.Known as the Black Death in medieval times, the plague now affects less than 5,000 people per year around the world. If not treated promptly with antibiotics, it can be fatal. The most prevalent form of plague causes enlarged and sensitive lymph nodes in the groin, armpits, and neck, known as buboes.
Depending on whatever region of your body is affected, the plague is classified as bubonic, septicemic, or pneumonic. Depending on the type of plague, there are different signs and symptoms.
The most frequent kind of plague is bubonic plague. It gets its name from the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) that appear within the first week of infection. Buboes can be any of the following:
- It's in your groin, armpit, or neck.
- It's about the same size as a chicken egg.
- To touch, it's both tender and firm.
Other signs and symptoms of bubonic plague include:
- Fever and chills appear suddenly.
- Fatigue or malaise are two terms for the same thing.
Septicemic plague
When plague germs proliferate in your bloodstream, you get the septicemic plague. The following are some of the signs and symptoms:
- Pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Shock if you have bleeding from your mouth, nose, or rectum, or if you have bleeding under your skin.
- Gangrene is the blackening and death of tissue in your extremities, most commonly your fingers, toes, and nose
Pneumonic plague :
The lungs are affected by the pneumonic plague. It's the rarest type of plague, but it's also the most hazardous since it can be passed from person to person via cough droplets. The following signs and symptoms may appear as soon as a few hours after infection:
- Coughing up blood and mucous (sputum)
The pneumonic plague spreads quickly, and within two days of infection, it can induce respiratory collapse and shock. The pneumonic plague must be treated with antibiotics within one day after the onset of symptoms, otherwise, the illness will most certainly be fatal.
When should you see a doctor?
If you start to feel ill and have been in an area where a plague has been reported, visit a doctor very away. To avoid major problems or death, you'll need medical treatment.
The plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, is transmitted to humans by the bites of fleas that have previously consumed infected animals, such as:
- Prairie dogs are a breed of dog that lives in
If a break in your skin comes into contact with the blood of an infected animal, the bacteria can enter your body. Flea bites or eating infected rodents can cause plague infection in domestic cats and dogs.Inhaling infectious droplets coughed into the air by a sick animal or person spreads pneumonic plague, which attacks the lungs.
Inhaling infectious droplets coughed into the air by a sick animal or person spreads pneumonic plague, which attacks the lungs.
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Diagnosis
If your doctor suspects you have the plague, he or she may test your samples for the Yersinia pestis bacteria
- Buboes. If you have swollen lymph nodes (buboes) associated with bubonic plague, your doctor may extract a fluid sample from them with a needle (aspiration).
- Blood. Only if you have septicemic plague will you have Yersinia pestis germs in your circulation.
- Lungs. Your doctor will use a small, flexible tube inserted through your nose or mouth and down your throat to collect mucus (sputum) or fluid from your airways to screen for pneumonic plague (endoscopy).
Treatment
You'll need to be admitted to the hospital as soon as your doctor detects you have the plague.
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