Pneumonic Plague Research Paper

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The plague is initially caused by an infection of bacteria called Yersinia Pestis, otherwise known as Y. Pestis. There are three types of the plague. The only main difference between all three types is the location of the infections in the body. The septicemic plague is an infection in the blood stream, the bubonic plague is an infection of the lymphatic system, and the pneumonic plague is an infection of the respiratory system. In the Middle Ages, this bacteria began what was known as the “Black Death” where an estimated one-third of the entire European population was wiped out. The plague has been thought to start in China. When ships traveled from China to San Francisco, California in the fourteenth century, the rats that were on the ships had contracted this disease. The fleas which fed on the rats then bit…show more content…
The Y. Pestis is contracted into the skin from when the fleas that have the disease in their bloodstream proceed to bite a human. The bacterium spreads to the lymph nodes in the armpit, groin, and neck. Here is where the bacteria cells multiply and cause swelling and tender, warm lumps called “buboes” to appear. You will also have a very high fever, fatigue, chills, headache, and muscle ache. In today’s age, this disease can be treated with antibiotics; however, this is still fatal in fifty to sixty percent of cases. Pneumonic plague is different than the bubonic Plague. This case is almost always fatal. This disease can be contracted by simply breathing in the Yersinia Pestis that was coughed by another animal or person that also has pneumonic plague. This type of the plague can also be contracted if the bacterium enters the bloodstream from the bubonic plague and travels to the lungs. Once the bacterium has entered the lungs, it causes severe pneumonia. The symptoms for this disease include high fever, vomiting and nausea, and difficulty breathing. You will also cough up bloody

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