Bubonic Plague: History and Impact

This assignment delves into the history of the Bubonic Plague, focusing on its origins, spread, and devastating consequences. It examines various aspects of the plague, including its symptoms, traditional treatments, and long-term societal impacts. The document also discusses modern-day occurrences of the plague and available preventative measures.

SHE – Infectious Disease – Black Death (Part C)
Introduction
Black death was the most epidemic disease is the history of human. It was resulted in the death of 75 to
200 million people. This was occurred in 1346-1353 in Eurasia (Black Death, 2010). There were various
theories developed in identifying the cause of black death but after the final analysis it was found out that
the pathogens which are responsible for black death was Yersinia pestis bacterium, found to be from a
foregut an infected flea, these fleas commonly found on rodents. This lead to the discovery that the
disease was passed through rodents. (Greg Botelho, CNN. 2017).
Black death/ Bubonic plague
This disease was caused by bacterium Yersinia pestis, a bubonic plague which circulates in the wild
rodents. They live in high density and high in numbers. Such kind of places is also called as plague focus or
plague reservoir (Hope, 2015). A plague is basically defined as a remarkably huge number of bugs or
insects in the form of animals invading a place by together causing harm. Such kind of plague in human
arises when the black rats or rodents became infected. This is exposed after one to seven days. This is
majorly spread by some infected fleas which are from small animals (Epidemics of the Past: Bubonic
Plague. 2017). It is on stating about the type of bacteria where Yersinia pestis are a type of coccus
bacteria. However, earlier it was hard for people to easily recognize the form and category of bacteria’s
due to no such technological advancements in comparison to today. As a result, to which, earlier these
were merely identified as fleas where one can easily identify its specific type with the help of
microscopes, etc.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Yersinia+pestis+bacterium+extracted+from&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-
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https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ce/99/83/ce9983fa1a6ba7e68150cdef78faf4e1.jpg
On considering today’s advancement in technology, one can easily take the assistance of
microscopes and color for determining the type of bacteria to e ffortlessly recognize its other related
details.
Bacterium/ symptoms
The bubonic plague is very rarely spread through the contact of person to person. The lymph nodes are
getting affected by this plague the most. These nodes are another part of lymph system. The bacteria will
start showing its effects within 3 to 7 days (History Extra. 2017). The person will develop some symptoms
of flu like headache, fever, weakness, chill tender lymph glands and swollen. The dying tissue starts
appearing black which will cause the bleeding of tissues and in severe cases it may cause death.
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Influence: How did hygiene and or medicine improve?
The diagnosis of this particular plague is dependent on the identification of organisms in the sample of
blood tissues. There are now various anti-biotic available for treating this. Some of them are ciprofloxacin,
streptomycin, gentamicin etc., (Frater, 2009). Those people who are suffering from this disease will
further require additional treatment. This includes oxygen respiratory support and various medications so
that adequate blood level and pressure is maintained.
How was it transmitted?
The transmission occurs when the infected rodents are fed by the flees and then they bite people. The
flea bite is the main cause of transmission. It can further spread through the contact with contaminated
tissues or fluids (The Black Death., 2017). Human can instantly become infected if they are in constant
contact with the infected tissues. The infectious droplets of plague bacteria are another reason for the
transmission.
Social issues: How were victims treated? How did this impact society?
The loss of people is having significant impact on all the prospects of society. The less disturbing and quite
environment are the cures of the plague used by the people at that time. At the time when black death
was spreading, then cities and villages were affected the most because the population was reducing
(Mike Ibeji, 2017). The society was not able to control the disease. Imports and exports from other cities
were stopped as a method to prevent transmission of the disease further.
Superstitions ?
During those times, people were not having more knowledge about such kind of disease and how to cure
this. They have declared as the will of god. People thought that all this is the act of god and by
worshipping, it can be cured. So, they travelled from town to town by ritually flagging in public place
showing that god is angry (Listverse. 2017). They have killed those people who are suffering from this
plague, so that the disease can be prevented. People were more superstitions at that time, so they have
adopted all the ritual practices by which the spread can be prevented and it can be cured.
Development: Technology and medicine
The black death is having significant impact on the development of medicines. It certainly revels some
short comings in the medical system of Europe. The physicians were scrambling on the development of
the medicines so that it can be prevented from spreading. There is still no such vaccine is available by
which the plague can be cured (Plague - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Plague - NY Times Health
Information. 2017). But people can reduce the rodent habitat areas and they can use gloves so that the
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contact can be avoided from the infected rodent. Prophylactic antibiotics can be used to an extent so that
the condition of the infected person can be improved.
Treatments when it was around and why they thought it would work
The black death has wiped out the population of one third of Europe. Some treatments used by people in
1328 to 1351 are; Aromatherapy, rotten treacle, religion, eating a spoon of crushed emeralds etc. (The
Black Death and early public health measures, 2017). These were the few practices people used, but it is
not the actual cure of bubonic plague, which is causing black death.
How it was finally treated?
Those people who are suffering from bubonic plague required immediate treatment. If they are not able
to get the treatment after the first symptoms then it can lead up to the death of the person. Antibiotics
such as gentamicin, doxycycline, streptomycin are majorly used for treatment (MedicineNet. 2017). The
patients have to be isolated from caregivers or other patients. People have to give antibiotics with
preventive measures and without treatment 50% of the people died.
Conclusion
Black death was the most dangerous disease occurred in Eurasia. At that time, Bubonic plague was not
having treatment and this forced people to undertake religious practices for its healing. With certain
technical developments, some antibiotics were produced that in turn reduced the death rate by 50%.
References
· Black Death. 2010. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.history.com/topics/black-
death> [Accessed 19 August 2017].
· Epidemics of the Past: Bubonic Plague. 2017. Epidemics of the Past: Bubonic Plague.
[ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.infoplease.com/science/health-and-body/epidemics-past-bubonic-plague.
[Accessed 03 August 2017].
· Frater, J., 2009. Top 10 Worst Plagues In History. [ONLINE] Available at: <
http://listverse.com/2009/01/18/top-10-worst-plagues-in-history/> [Accessed 19
August 2017].
· Greg Botelho, CNN. 2017. Bubonic plague reported in Michigan - CNN.com.
[ONLINE] Available at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/14/health/michigan-plague/index.html. [Accessed 03
August 2017].
· History Extra. 2017. Where the Black Death happened: 9 places connected to the
14th-century plague | History Extra. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.historyextra.com/feature/black-death-where-history-happened. [Accessed
03 August 2017].
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· Hope, J., 2015. 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Black Death. [ONLINE]
Available at: <http://www.historyextra.com/article/international-history/10-things-you-
probably-didnt-know-about-black-death> [Accessed 19 August 2017].
· Listverse. 2017. 10 Crazy Cures for the Black Death - Listverse. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://listverse.com/2013/01/21/10-crazy-cures-for-the-black-death/. [Accessed 02
August 2017].
· MedicineNet. 2017. Plague (Black Death) Symptoms, Treatment, Causes - Is it
possible to prevent plague? Is there a plague vaccine? - MedicineNet. [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/plague_facts/page5.htm. [Accessed 02
August 2017].
· MedicineNet. 2017. Plague: Symptoms and History of the Black Death. [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/plague_facts/article.htm. [Accessed 01
August 2017].
· Mike Ibeji, BBC. 2017. Black Death: The Effect of the Plague. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/plague_countryside_01.shtml
[Accessed 10 August 2017].
· Plague - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Plague - NY Times Health Information .
2017. Plague - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Plague - NY Times Health
Information . [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/plague/overview.html. [Accessed 02
August 2017].
· The Black Death and early public health measures. 2017. The Black Death and early
public health measures. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/publichealth/blackdeath.
[Accessed 02 August 2017].
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