Black Death
...is increased, and the victim will become listless and exhausted. The buboes will swell until they are approximately the size of a chicken egg. If a case is nonfatal than the temperature will begin to fall in about five days, and returnt to normal in about two weeks, but in fatal cases death will probably occur within four days. Yersinia Pestis, an infectious, round and rod shaped agent is the cause of the Bubonic Plague. Yersina Pestis is a bacteria, which means the cells lack the internal organization of eukaryotic cells. These bacteria cells would contain the membrane but they would not be able to subdivide the inside of the cell. These bacteria cells do not have a nucleus so instead they have a nucleiod that contains genetic material. The two types of bacteria cells are gram-negative and gram-positive. Yersina Pestis is gram negative and that means that antibiotics are less effective on the plague because of a lipopolysaccharide layer over their walls that adds extra protection. The bubonic plague has a major impact on the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, lymphoid organs and circulating lymphocytes. Plague victims tend to have large bumps on their bodies which are called "buboes". These are actually swollen lymph nodes filled with puss. The spread of the infection causes the lymph nodes to become hard and painful. The lymph nodes are heavily concentrated in the neck, armpits, and groin. When a person becomes ill these areas will begin to swell because the body needs to make a vast amount of white blood cells to fight off whatever pathogen has entered the body. Many preventive measures can be used to reduce the spread of the plague (sanitation, killing of rats, prevention in transport of rats). Individuals who contract the disease are isolated, fed fluids and put to bed. During World War II, scientists using sulfa drugs were able to produce cures of plague. Since it is a bacteria, the bubonic plague can be treated with antibiotics. Tetracyline, Streptomycin, and Chloramphenicol are three of the antibiotics used to prevent plague. Sometimes, they are even mixed together. The plague can almost always be cured when it is recognized fast enough. Since the late 19th century bubonic plague vaccinations have been in use. There is a vaccine that can be taken in a six to month installment period, but there is a element of risk to this vaccination. This vaccination has been proven to be ineffective with people younger than eighteen and older than sixty. The side effects of this vaccination can sometimes result in death and therefore it is not a good idea to use it. During the Middle Ages, people did not have a clue as to why the plague was spreading so quickly. But now we know that the bubonic plague is spread by fleas. The bacteria moves its way up to the upper digestive tract of the flea where it breeds and multiplies. The flea must find a new host and when it does the flea drinks its blood and regurgitates the bacteria into the host. This also infects the host. Therefore, the plague can be spread by any rodent or animal who could get fleas. As soon as the bacteria is regurgitated into the new host, it begins to multiply in lymphatic system and the blood stream. The bacteria attacks the whole body at once by travelling to the spleen, liver, brain, lungs and kidneys. There is much controversy concerning the exact method by which the plague arrived in England. But it is certain that it arrived by the ports, carried on merchant and Naval ships. However, it is possible that the infected fleas carried by the rats in the grain or bales of cloth and cotton, or on the backs of the crew, passengers or returning soldiers. Also the disease was spread from the ports to the town and country, maybe wild rodents in the countryside, by the rats and fleas in transported freight, or by the fleas on their human hosts. Although the evidence is mixed and debatable, it is suggested they all played a role. There is evidence to support that plague was caught from baggage ...