What is the plague? This is a very serious infectious disease, leading to quite large-scale epidemics, in most cases ending in the death of a person. We’ll talk about this.
History of the plague
The very first epidemic described in the sources occurred back in the 6th century and killed about 100 million people.
After 8 years, her relapse occurred in Western Europe and the Mediterranean. Then the disease claimed more than 60 million lives.
The third large-scale outbreak of the plague occurred in Hong Kong in the late 19th century. It quickly spread to more than 100 port cities. For example, in India alone, a plague epidemic claimed the lives of 12 million people.
It is worth noting that this disease has several forms:
- bubonic plague ;
- pulmonary;
- septic.
What causes the plague?
It is caused by a certain bacterium, which was discovered in the late 19th century. The French scientist A. Yersen and the Japanese researcher S. Kitazato turned their attention to her. It is worth noting that today it is already well known what the plague is. Microorganisms that cause this disease are also known. Let's talk about the epidemic in more detail.
What is the plague inherently?
In essence, this is a "black death." That is what she was nicknamed for the gravest consequences and peculiar symptoms. Indeed, this disease does not spare either children or adults. If timely treatment is not started, then the plague kills more than 70% of people infected with it.
What triggers an epidemic?
It is worth noting that today this disease is very rare, but on our planet there are still natural foci that excite this infection. These are rodents in which pathogens appear. They are in most cases the main carriers of the disease.
How does a person become infected with plague?
It is not enough to know what the plague is and who is its causative agent. You need to be aware of how its deadly bacteria can enter our body. The fact is that the deadly plague virus enters it through fleas! It is these small parasites that are looking for a new host after infected mice and rats begin to die en masse.
Moreover, modern medicine also describes the airborne route through which the infection is transmitted. It determines the rapid spread and development of the plague epidemic.
Symptoms of the disease
They appear 2-5 days after infection. Here is a list of them:
- chills;
- a sharp increase in body temperature;
- drop in blood pressure;
- a little later confusion appears, delusional thoughts arise, and coordination of movement is disturbed.
How is plague treated?
You can see photos of sick people infected with this epidemic on their screens. Awful, isn't it? To prevent this, the diagnosis of the disease should be based on immunological methods, laboratory culture and polymerase chain reaction.
If any form of plague is detected, the patient is immediately hospitalized. Hospital personnel take unprecedented precautions and treatment for the infected person begins.
Today, thanks to modern medicine, large-scale outbreaks of plague have become a rarity in the world. Currently, mortality from this disease does not exceed 5-10% of the world population.
Risk areas
In Russia there is a list of regions that are plague endemic. These are Altai, the Stavropol Territory, the Caspian Lowland, Transbaikalia, and the East Ural Region.