The Bubonic Plague

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Recommended: The impact of the black death on Europe

Many diseases claim the lives of people every day. The Bubonic plague was a serious epidemic that killed an estimated 25 million people across Europe during the fourteenth century. Not only did the plague create hardships over the country in many areas with the attitude and lifestyle, it also created some good with the economy by creating jobs.
The bubonic plague is a disease from a bacterial infection caused by Yesinia petitis. This bacteria comes from rat fleas. The rats carry the bacteria in their digestive tracts which would then travel to the fleas and would not harm them. When the rats die, the fleas move on to another rat and when that rat is bit, it becomes infected with the bacteria as well. The disease killed about two thirds of the infected humans with four days that they became infected. Bubonic plague is a derivative from the Greek word “βουβών” which means groin. The significance of the Greek word is that the disease causes lymph nodes to become swollen in the armpit area and the groin area. The infection comes from the fleas that are found on animals, particularly small rodents. A common question that is asked is, what is the difference between the bubonic plague and the Black Death? The plague is the cause of the Black Death in Europe during the fourteenth century.
The signs and symptoms of this illness is very similar to those of the flu. The most common symptom like stated before is the swollenness of the lymph nodes in the groin and armpit area which can become very painful. These areas of the swollen lymph nodes are often the areas where the person was bit. Other symptoms that occurred were muscle cramps, chills, high fever, seizures, vomiting, fatigue, decomposition of the skin. A more serious symptom fr...

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...y one could do to try and prevent the plague from happening, the only thing a country could do was be as prepared as they could be. The scary part of the plague is knowing that it could happen again if it wanted to. Like stated before, there are still about 15 people in the United States that become infected each year. If we aren’t safe, it could change the United States completely and change everyone’s lives.

Works Cited

Patrick, G. N.p, n. d. 17 Nov 2013. .
“Plague.” Black Death n.pag. National Geographic. Web. 17 Nov 2013. https://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-disease/plague-article/>
“Black Death.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., date last updated (21 November 2013). Web. Date accessed (25 November 2013).

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