The Plague

Types of the Black Plague Bubonic Bacteria enter the body through a flea bite and attack the lymphatic system causing the lymph nodes to swell (“bubo” means swollen gland) Pneumonic Airborne, caused my inhaling droplets of bacteria from an infected person through coughing, sneezing, etc. Septicemic Bacteria enter the bloodstream after building up in the lymp node and secrete toxins that cause coagulation (clotting) leading to tissue death from lack of circulation, the lack of the body’s ability to control bleeding causes internal bleeding Meningeal Bacteria crosses the brain/blood barrier causing meningitis Pharyngeal Symptoms similar to tonsillitis (infection and inflammation of the tonsils)

Symptoms & Transmission Fever Chills Headache Weakness Swollen lymph nodes (buboes) Shock Internal bleeding Pneumonia(Pneumonic Plague) Flea bites Contact with contaminated fluids

Yersinia Pestis The Plague has been discovered to be caused by a bacteria called Yersinia Pestis first seenby French biologist Alexandre Yersin at the end of the 19th century Gram negative, rod shaped coccobacillus bacteria

Ring Around The Rosie Ring around the rosie Pocket full of posies Ashes, ashes (Achoo, Achoo) We all fall down This classic nursery rhyme is believed to be about the plague People carried flowers (posies) in their pockets to cover the smell of dead and decaying bodies Ashes, ashes represents cremation In some European versions they say Achoo, achoo refering to people sneezing The last line is talking about death from the plague

The Plague Today There are still cases of the plague in the world today In the United States, they mostly occur in the West (prairie land) where flea bites are more common However, with modern medicine the disease is much easier to treat