What is the cause of the modern bubonic plague?
The plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. It’s usually spread by fleas. These bugs pick up the germs when they bite infected animals like rats, mice, or squirrels. Then they pass it to the next animal or person they bite.
Where is bubonic plague today?
It can still be found in Africa, Asia, and South America. Today, plague is rare in the United States. But it has been known to occur in parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
How did the bubonic plague get its name?
What is bubonic plague? Plague is a potentially lethal infectious disease that is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis that live in some animals – mainly rodents – and their fleas. Bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease that people can get. The name comes from the symptoms it causes – painful.
How did the bubonic plague spread from fleas to humans?
Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymphatic system, usually resulting from the bite of an infected flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (the rat flea). Several flea species carried the bubonic plague, Oriental rat flea ( Xenopsylla cheopis) infected with the Yersinia pestis bacterium which appears as a dark mass in the gut.
Is the bubonic plague still a serious infection?
Bubonic plague is a bacteria that can infect animals or humans. It can transfer directly from animals to humans when an active infection occurs. Although it is highly treatable today with modern medicine, it is still a serious infection.
How did people get the plague in the United States?
Humans get the plague through direct contact with infected animals or fleas. In the U.S., people can contract the plague when disposing of squirrels or mice that died from the infection or traveled to an area where infected animals live. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare.
How do you cure bubonic plague?
The best way to treat bubonic plague using turmeric powder is to take 2 teaspoons of it for 3-4 times a day. Turmeric contains curcumin which is a substance that helps in decreasing inflammation. It also contains other natural chemicals that can help treat the signs and symptoms of the plague.
How dangerous is bubonic plague?
It can be deadly if not treated promptly with antibiotics. The most common form of plague results in swollen and tender lymph nodes — called buboes — in the groin, armpits or neck. The rarest and deadliest form of plague affects the lungs, and it can be spread from person to person.
Why did the bubonic plague spread so rapidly?
According to some scholars, the Black Death spread so quickly because the bacterium causing it has become airborne. In some cases, the infection would spread to the lungs, resulting in pneumonia. The victim would start coughing up blood, making transmission of the bacterium airborne, allowing it to spread much faster than fleas.
Is the bubonic plague caused by bacteria fungus or virus?
The bubonic plague, which is caused by a bacterial infection, was chillingly known as “Black Death” when it wiped out some 50 million people across Africa, Asia and Europe in the Middle Ages.