The Black Death: Bubonic Plague

1. The Black Death: Bubonic Plague Shada Aimadeddine, Iyobo Aimiuwu, and Hannah Barboza Health Science Project August, 31, 2012

2. History The history of the Bubonic Plague  is definite and based on true facts. As more than 70 million people died during the Middle Ages of Bubonic Plague or what they called as Black Death. It almost wiped out the almost all of Europe’s population, because the infection was so widespread that it spread to up to 60 percent of the population. Symptoms that are common or people should watch out for are swollen lymph glands. Since the plague affects the lymph nodes, it will swell in size as well. That's why most of the victims have swollen necks, armpits and groins. Symptoms appear fast and these include: a fever that goes up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit; muscle soreness and aches, diarrhea or loose bowel movement, shaking or chills, enlargement of the armpits, groin and or neck. http://bubonicplaguehistory.com/

3. Background Info • The Bubonic Plague originally came from China in the 1330’s. • Since China was one of the busiest of the world's trading nations, it was only a matter of time before the outbreak of plague in China spread to western Asia and Europe. • Within days the disease spread to the city and the surrounding countryside. • The disease was called the Black Death because one of the symptoms produced a blackening of the skin around the swellings. or buboes. http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html

4. In depth • Bubonic plague is an infectious illness that can affect humans and some animals -- in particular, rodents and parasites such as fleas or lice. The bacteria that cause the disease are typically transmitted in one of three ways: inhaling infected droplets, direct contact with infected tissue or bodily fluids, or bites from infected animals. The disease occurs more frequently during the spring and summer months, especially in males and people under the age of 20. • A victim would die quickly - victims only lived between 2 -4 days after contracting the deadly http://plague.emedtv.com/bubonic-plague/bubonic-plauge.html

5. Symptoms • a very high fever • delirium • the victim begins to vomit • muscular pains • bleeding in the lungs • mental disorientation http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/black-death.html

6. Treatments • Antibiotics are usually used for bubonic plague treatment, and the patient is hospitalized and placed in isolation even before lab results are known. Without prompt treatment, the bacteria can quickly multiply in the bloodstream or spread to the lungs. For this reason, it is important for a patient to receive bubonic plague treatment as soon as possible. http://plague.emedtv.com/bubonic-plague/bubonic-plague-treatment.html

7. Recent Reports Turns out, the plague isn’t just ancient history. New Mexico health officials recently confirmed the first human case of bubonic plague — previously known as the “Black Death” — to surface in the U.S. in 2011. An unidentified 58-year-old man was hospitalized for a week after suffering from a high fever, pain in his abdomen and groin, and swollen lymph nodes,  reports the New York Daily News. (Officials declined to say when the man was released from the hospital.) A blood sample from the man tested positive for the disease. Santa Fe officials said they are still investigating how the man contracted plague. Flea bites are the most common method of transmission to humans; in this case, doctors suspect a flea bit the man on his left leg. Bubonic plague tends to create panic in areas where it appears. That’s understandable, given that it’s best known for having wiped out more than a third of the medieval population of Europe. Today, some 1,000 to 3,000 cases arise globally each year. Countries such as Australia and Europe are plague-free, but regions in Africa, Asia and the Americas have experienced epidemics in recent decades. Most cases occur in small towns and villages or agricultural areas, rather than in developed towns and cities. In the U.S., plague cases are rare and relatively isolated; 10 to 20 human cases of plague are reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They typically appear in two general areas: one region includes northern New Mexico, northern Arizona and southern Colorado; the other spans California, southern Oregon and far western Nevada. Of those states, New Mexico has the highest domestic plague incidence with 65 of the 134 cases reported in the U.S. since 1990, according to a health department report. Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which lives in rodents, and is transmitted by flea bites. http://healthland.time.com/2011/05/10/first-case-of-bubonic-plague-in-2011-appears-in-new-mexico/

8. Bubonic Plague Video http://www.history.com/topics/black-death/videos#coroners-report-plague