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- DictionaryPlague/plāɡ/
noun
- 1. a contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, typically with the formation of buboes (bubonic plague) and sometimes infection of the lungs (pneumonic plague): "an outbreak of plague"
verb
- 1. cause continual trouble or distress to: "he has been plagued by ill health"
Overview. Plague is an infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. The disease is transmitted between animals via their fleas and, as it is a zoonotic bacterium, it can also transmit from animals to humans.
- What Is Plague?
- What Is The Plague called Today?
- Does Plague Still Exist?
- What Are The Three Plagues?
- Who Does Plague Affect?
- How Common Is Plague?
- How Does Plague Affect My body?
Plague is an illness you get from the bacterium Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis). Plague is a zoonotic disease, which means you can get it from animals and they can get it from you. This disease usually spreads through bites from fleas that previously bit an infected animal. There are three types of plague. Which type you have depends on where in your b...
Today we still use the word “plague” to mean illness caused by Yersinia pestis. Usually, we also call it by the specific type of plague it is — bubonic, septicemic or pneumonic.
Yes, plague still exists. It’s most common in parts of Africa, but a few cases are reported in Asia, South America and the U.S. every year.
The three types of plague — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — are each named for the part of your body that gets infected by Y. pestis.
Plague mostly affects people living in a few countries in Africa, but cases are also reported in the Americas and Asia every year. It’s most common in Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the U.S., you’re more likely to get plague in rural areas of western states. You’re at higher risk if you work with animals in an area where plague...
While it still exists, plague is extremely rare now. Worldwide, 1,000 to 2,000 people are diagnosed with plague every year. Only about seven cases are reported in the U.S. each year.
When Y. pestisenters your body, it hides from your immune system, allowing it to multiply and spread out. When it gets into cells, it releases a toxin to kill the cell. Y. pestiscan infect your lymph nodes (bubonic plague), causing large swellings called buboes. If it gets in your blood (septicemic plague), it can damage your organs. If it gets int...
Feb 28, 2022 · The plague is a serious bacterial infection that can be deadly. Sometimes referred to as the “black plague,” the disease is caused by a bacterial strain called Yersinia pestis. This...
May 15, 2024 · Key points. Plague symptoms depend on how the patient was infected. The most common forms of plague are bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. Signs and symptoms. Most common forms of plague. Bubonic plague: Patients develop fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, painful lymph nodes (called buboes).
Aug 7, 2023 · Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, perhaps one of the most important bacterial pathogens in human history. It occurs in epidemics and pandemics with extremely high mortality when untreated. Prevention and rapid treatment are essential to avoid large outbreaks and the death of those infected with this pathogen.
- Robert L. Dillard, Andrew L. Juergens
- 2023/08/07
- Texas A&M
May 16, 2024 · Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. People typically get infected after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the bacterium or by handling a plague-infected animal.
Overview. Plague is a serious illness caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. The germs mostly live in small rodents and their fleas. The most common way for humans to get plague is a flea bite. Plague is a rare disease. The illness mostly occurs in only a few countries around the world.
