The Bubonic Plague
The Bubonic Plague is perhaps the most widely known and feared of all diseases. Its death rate was at 90% of all that contracted the deadly bacteria. It is perhaps the most contagous of all diseases as it could be passed on to another through the air. Coughing, sneezing, and even talking were all ways to transmit this deadly infection to others. While it was a horrible death, it came on rather swift feet; the usual time from infection to death was less than one week. The Bubonic Plague, called the Black Death by some, usually hit in epidemics causing widespread, fast, an
Their lymph nodes (called buboes, giving the disease its name) swelled up, blood would clot under the skin forming black patches, (giving the plague its dark nickname) high fever, and delirium. Scientists have successfully discovered the main genes of the bacteria and have made a vaccine for the disease. The worst known disease with such big killing numbers, was caused by something we as humans overlook in our everyday lives, rats. The plague was so bad that when rats had been discovered as the cause, bounty was offered for every rat that was brought in dead to the local rat claiming station. The total death toll for those epidemics was 137 million people. In some cases the lungs would be infected and the pneumonic form would be contracted. To these animals however the disease was not deadly, it only infected the human body. Today however the plague is not a big worry. Although the epidemics that killed half of Europe's population were bad, the worldwide spread of the disease caused terror in all the minds of the world. In its worst forms it could kill 2 million unsuspecting souls a year. When a person contracted the disease, it was pretty obvious. The three major outbreaks were in the 6th, 14th, and 17th centuries. Rats were infected by the bacteria known as Yersinia pestis after they were infected, fleas would bite them and contract the deadly disease themselves.
Common topics in this essay:
Black Death,
Bubonic Plague,
bubonic plague,
|
Acceptance Essays
