1. The Plague

2. 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)

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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