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The plague in the middle ages
The plague in the middle ages
The plagues effect on medieval society
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Yersinia pestis – Gerneal Infection, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the infamous Black Death, spread by rat fleas, has cast a shadow over human civilization, taken the lives of countless peasants and nobles alike like a violent brute who murders invariably. There are three major forms of infection stages, the bubonic plague, the septicemic plague, and the pneumonic plague (primary and secondary), all are lethal if not treated with proper antibiotics. Due to similar symptoms, clinical diagnosis, the distinction between a common cold and a lethal infection is made difficult. However, though a potent murderer, Yersinia pestis can be easily eliminated by antibiotic treatment; survivors of the disease may be scarred. The plague has always been a shadow overcastting the dawn of mankind; it had hid in the darkness, where the rodents roam and the poor dwell; it had unleashed its terror upon, claiming the souls of nobles and peasants alike. There are a total of five major plague outbreaks, including the infamous Black Death of medieval Europe, which wiped away half of its population. Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the Black Death, are Gram-negative bacteria that are septicemic and extremely infectious. Though humans are highly susceptible to the microorganism, its main hosts are rodent species such as rats and squirrels, and are only transmitted onto humans when infectious fleas regurgitates animal blood while feeding on us. Yersinia pestis infection comes in three forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic; the pneumonic plague is the deadliest. The rodent epidemic is transmitted unto humans when Y. pestis “are transmitted by fleabite, enters the lymphatic [system] 2 and migrate to the re... ... middle of paper ... ...6. Microorganisms and Bioterrorism. Ed. Anderson, Burt, Friedman, Herman, and Maaro Bendinelli. Springer: 2006. Kopp, Elizabeth, and Medzhitov, Ruslan. “A Plague on Host Defense.” The Journal of Experimental Medicine. . “Plague Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Department of Health and Human Services. 30 March, 2005. 26 July, 2006. . “Plague Prevention and Control.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Department of Health and Human Services. 30 March, 2005. 26 July, 2006. . VeriMed Healthcare Network. “Plague.” Medline Plus. 17 June, 2005. 26 July, 2006. .
The Black Death (also called the "plague" or the "pestilence", the bacteria that causes it is Yersinia Pestis) was a devastating pandemic causing the death of over one-third of Europe's population in its major wave of 1348-1349. Yersinia Pestis had two major strains: the first, the Bubonic form, was carried by fleas on rodents and caused swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes", and lesions under the skin, with a fifty-percent mortality rate; the second, the pneumonic form, was airborne after the bacteria had mutated and caused fluids to build up in the lungs and other areas, causing suffocation and a seventy-percent mortality rate.
pestis bacteria have been so successful in infecting and causing pandemics because of their ability to escape and avoid the host’s immune system (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013). Once a person is bitten by infected fleas, the Y. pestis bacteria enter the bloodstream, where they are accosted by macrophages and neutrophils (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013). While the neutrophils can typically kill these invaders (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013), the macrophages are challenged by Y. pestis’s “zippering” mechanism (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013). When “zippering”, the bacteria’s surface ligands bind to the macrophages, which ingest the bacterial cells (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013). Once inside, these bacteria escape from the macrophages and then become impervious to phagocytosis by the host’s immune system (Ke, Chen, & Yang, 2013). During this time of the initial stages of infection (3-7 days), an individual suffers with flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, a high fever, and aches (Plague,
Plagues and Peoples. By William H. McNeill. (New York: Anchor Books: A division of Random House, Inc., 1976 and Preface 1998. Pp. 7 + 365. Acknowledgements, preface, map, appendix, notes, index.)
In the 1300’s, England was struck with a plague called the Bubonic Plague, better known as the “Black Death.” Historians believe this disease arrived by ship at a seaport in modern day Ukraine (Byrne 1). Fleas living on the back of rats were the main cause of spreading. Because of the poor living conditions, rats were very common in towns, making it simple for fleas to bite the human, giving them the disease. Symptoms were easily spotted; the victim would have lumps on his or her groin and armpits, which would then turn to black spots on the arms and thighs (Trueman 1). Most who suffered form this epidemic did not live past three days (Trueman 1). Because the vermin spread this disease so rapidly, it would eventually affect most of Europe. The source of the Black Death was unknown at the time; therefore physicians could not stop the spread or treat the infected (Byrne 1). Many people thought that it was God’s punishment, so to appease Him, they publicly whipped themselves (Byrne 1). Before declining, the Black Death killed around forty percent of the European populations, which is about 25 million victims, making it one of the most widely known epidemics. Once the Bubonic Plague died out, it only had two...
Lapaire, Pierre J. "The Plague: Overview." Reference Guide to World Literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.
The Black Death was an epidemic of plague caused by a microbe called Yersinia pestis, which killed more than third of Europe population. It took decades for historians and Microbiologist to find the origins of plague, but they finally find the first clear evidence of Yersinia petis infection, which was the Plague of Justinian. In a new research, researchers find out that this bacterium was infecting people as long as 5,000 years ago.
Although the bubonic plague is not common in the United States today, there are still outbreaks in Asia. There are fewer than 20 cases found in the United States annually. Most of these cases are found in the western part of the country around New Mexico and Arizona. The risk of bubonic plague has been significantly reduced due to efforts made to control the rodent population, the use of insecticides, and vaccines. Vaccines are only recommended for those who are at a high risk to exposure and are not required when travelling abroad. Doctors and scientist risked their own lives to come up with antibiotics to cure this disease. Today there is far less fear and death associated with this disease due to medical advances and technology. Bubonic plague is no longer a death threat if caught and treated in a timely manner.
The plague took on three different forms, each with its own unique way of killing. The most common, bubonic, was considered the mildest form, with a mortality rate of thirty to seventy-five percent. A person with this would be seen with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, arm and groin regions, with headaches, nausea, body aches, and a high fever. The pneumonic plague was the second most commonly seen form of the Black Death. Only five percent of its victim’s survived, infecting the lungs, causing a person to cough and vomit blood. The least common form, but most deadly, with a one hundred percent death rate was the septicemic plague. Even today, if a person were to come up with this form of the...
On the one hand, The Black Death is an important turning point in history due to the terror and consequential effects it had left behind. The Black Death has been one of the most harmful pandemics in the history of humankind, killing an estimated number of around 75 to 200 million people throughout history, whilst peaking in Europe throughout 1348-50 AD. Although people have been debating about what the real cause of the Black Death is, a scientific journal called PLoS Pathogens publish a paper showing that the pathogen responsible for the Black Death in northern and southern Europe is the Yersinia pestis bacterium (Originally called Pasteurella pestis, the organism had been renamed in 1967 to Yersinia pestis), which had most likely caused many plagues.
The “plague” is known as the “Yersinia pestis” bacteria, which is a rare zoonotic disease. These diseases are spread from animal to human (Newquist 239, Adamloakun M.D. 718). The bacterium lives in rodents such as rats and is carried by fleas (Newquist 238). When the fleas bite humans, the bacterium spreads.
Discoveries about the plaque are still happening today. The latest discovery in 2011, states that the pathogen held accountable for the plaque was Yersinia pestis bacterium. Yersinia pestis is a anaerobic bacterium and a infectious disease affecting human beings as well as other creatures. The bacteria affects the rodent first, then a flea bites the affected rodent, when the flea is infected it jumps onto a person, and bites them. When the person is bitten they become infected (The Black Death).
6. Inglesby, Thomas V., David T. Dennis, Donald A. Henderson, John G. Bartlett, Michael S. Ascher, Edward Eitzen, Anne D. Fine, Arthur M. Friedlander, Jerome Hauer, John F. Koerner, Marcelle Layton, Joseph McDade, Michael T. Osterholm, Tara O'Toole, Gerald Parker, Trish M. Perl, Philip K. Russell, Monica Schoch-Spana, Kevin Tonat, for the Working Group on Civilian Biodefense. "Plague as a Biological Weapon." JAMA. Vol. 283 no. 17. 3 May 2000. http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v283n17/ffull/jst90013.html(17 Oct 2001).
Knobler, Stacy L. , Adel A. F. Mahmoud, and Leslie A. Pray. Biological Threats and
Yersinia pestis (plague) is an example of bioterrorism. This disease has caused several deaths for the past 2,000 years in Europe and in Asia. In the 14th century it was called the Bubonic plague, better known as “the Black Death.”
There are many bacteria in this world that can cause damage to the body such as Clostridia which “live harmlessly in soil and the intestines of humans and animals. Some types can infect wounds or cause illness. Clostridium perfringens causes gas gangrene or tissue death”. Streptococci which causes strep throat and many other infections and is a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis, but what interested me more was a bacterial infection called the “Black Death” also knows as the bubonic plague is a rare but a serious bacterial infection that is transmitted by flee. The bubonic plague is one of three types of bacterial infection caused by Yersinia Pestis. The other two are the septicemic plague, and the pneumonic plague. Three to seven days after