Bubonic Plague, Resistant Bacterial Disease Still Prevalent in 2010

Unfortunately people often mistakenly look for clear perspectives on how the bubonic plague is still actively present in 2010, however defining why the bubonic plague is still cause for concern in the 21st century is not an easy task. For one, the bubonic plague has always been a very severe bacterial infection that can easily camouflage itself with symptoms of many other common bacterial infections. Therefore after being in the medical field for many years, I am certain that if the plague is caught early enough it may never be properly diagnosed. Especially since the plague is treated successfully with some very common antibiotic therapies, which are normally given at the first sign of severe infections such as pneumonia or sepsis.

The "Bubonic Plague" is a disease that many people refer to as simply the "Black Death". In the middle ages the bubonic plague was of epidemic proportions in Europe and killed millions of people. However in 2010, the World Health Organization estimates that over 1,000 instances of the bubonic plague each year throughout the globe. The areas that the bubonic plague have become most prevalent are the Middle East, Russia, Asia, Africa, Brazil and China.

The CDC or the United States Center for Disease Control estimates approximately 15 cases of the bubonic plague are reported each year in America. The majority of the cases are reported in New Mexico, California, Arizona and other western states. Many people in these states have been known to acquire the bubonic plague from wild desert rodents such as prairie dogs. The Navajo Indians, as well as any hikers and backpackers in the southwestern states are very susceptible to catching the disease from either infected fleas or direct contact with wild rodents.

The bubonic plague also poses a significant risk In the 21st century as a real biological weapon. In the late 90's a white supremacist man tried to acquire the bubonic plague from a lab, however he was arrested before anything happened. The pneumonia "bubonic" plague is highly lethal and in aerosol form poses a real biological threat in today's society.

The bubonic plague if left untreated is a fatal bacterial infection and the symptoms of the plague can be easily mistaken for many other types of bacterial infections. Symptoms of the bubonic plague include:

-High fever and chills
-Severe headache
-Tender and swollen lymph nodes
-Blackish discoloring of the skin caused by hemorrhages underneath the skin.

The most common area affected by the bubonic plague involves the lymph system which includes organs such as the tonsils and adenoids. The bacteria causes the lymphatic system to become inflamed or swollen and tender. A person's lymphatic systems plays a key role in their immune system.

Unfortunately people who are infected with the bubonic plague may also develop other infections such as sepsis or blood poisoning, meningitis or pneumonia. All of which are potentially life threatening infections in their own right. If a person develops the plague antibiotic therapy should be started as soon as possible. Tetracycline, Gentamycin and Streptomycin are three strong antibiotics that have been used successfully in treating the bubonic plague. If the disease goes untreated, the bubonic plague can quickly multiply throughout the body causing the severe secondary infections.

The "Black Death" or bubonic plague is not commonly spread through person to person contact. However many people who became sick during the middle ages from "Black Death" were thought to have became sick through infected people who had developed the secondary infection of pneumonia, which was spread through coughing and sneezing, which still poses a tremendous threat in 2010.

Rats and other small rodents carry the infection, the plague is passed to humans through the fleas that live on the small rodents. Humans therefore get exposed to the bacteria from indirect flea bites from the infected fleas or from directed contact with an infected rodent.

There are many steps in which the bubonic plague risk can be kept at a minimum such as monitoring plague cases so that there is not another epidemic. controlling the rodent population, treating fleas on pets and in living areas.

If you live anywhere where rats and other rodents are prevalent or feel that you may be subject to any of the risk factors such as flea infestation, you should see a physician for more information and a thorough medical evaluation.

References for this article include:

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague
emedicine.medscape.com/article/235627-overview
findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3890/is_200401/ai_n9378827