Background
The Black Death is a bacterial disease that is considered one of the most lethal in history and it resulted in the deaths of approximately 300 million people around the world. The plague has recorded pandemics which date back to 541 AD and minor epidemics can still be found around the world today. The plague contains a deadly bacterium called Yersinia Pestis. This bacterium has the capability of mutating quickly and can easily destroy the immune system of an infected person. It manages doing this by injecting toxins into defence cells, such as macrophages. Once the cells are destroyed, the bacteria can multiply with ease.
The Black Death affected the whole world. Overall, approximately 200 million people in Europe were affected and a deadly outbreak in china caused the Chinese population to drop from 125 million to 90 million in just 50 years. Approximately 7500 people around the world were dying each day from the deadly disease.
The Black Death affected the whole world. Overall, approximately 200 million people in Europe were affected and a deadly outbreak in china caused the Chinese population to drop from 125 million to 90 million in just 50 years. Approximately 7500 people around the world were dying each day from the deadly disease.
Types of Plagues
Bubonic Plague
The most common form of plague is the bubonic plague. It is usually contracted when an infected rodent or flea bites a human. In very rare cases, you can get the infection from a material that has come into contact with an infected person. The bubonic plague infects your lymphatic system (immune system), causing inflammation. Untreated, it can infect the blood stream and cause septicemic plague, or to the lungs, causing pneumonic plague.
Pneumonic Plague
When the bacteria multiply in the lungs, you have pneumonic plague—the most serious form of the disease. When a person with pneumonic plague coughs, the bacteria from their lungs are expelled into the air. Other people who breathe that air can also develop this highly contagious form of plague, which can lead to an epidemic.
Septicemic Plague
The septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria infect the bloodstream and multiply. When untreated, both bubonic and pneumonic plague can lead to a septicemic plague.
The most common form of plague is the bubonic plague. It is usually contracted when an infected rodent or flea bites a human. In very rare cases, you can get the infection from a material that has come into contact with an infected person. The bubonic plague infects your lymphatic system (immune system), causing inflammation. Untreated, it can infect the blood stream and cause septicemic plague, or to the lungs, causing pneumonic plague.
Pneumonic Plague
When the bacteria multiply in the lungs, you have pneumonic plague—the most serious form of the disease. When a person with pneumonic plague coughs, the bacteria from their lungs are expelled into the air. Other people who breathe that air can also develop this highly contagious form of plague, which can lead to an epidemic.
Septicemic Plague
The septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria infect the bloodstream and multiply. When untreated, both bubonic and pneumonic plague can lead to a septicemic plague.
tHE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE
The Black Death reoccurred so many times largely because the sanitation methods used in the Middle Ages, and the ways they tried to cure it, often spread the disease even more. The disease was spread by fleas that lived on rats. The Mediterranean summer rubbish bins and filth on the streets was the perfect breeding ground for the fleas and rats. For a while, almost every summer the disease would be at its worst once again and many people would fall victim to it. The Black Death was extremely contagious and the cities infected did not know how to effectively stop the spread, or treat the patients. People did not know what spread the disease, which made it quite difficult to create a vaccine. This is another reason it kept reoccurring, because no one knew how to stop themselves from getting the disease. Poor people were extremely vulnerable when the disease hit because they went to the toilet along with the animals on the streets. The rats would pick up the infected fleas and would then scurry into pantries and food supplies. People would then digest the disease, along with then food.
preventative measures for the black death
Because human plague is rare in most parts of the world today, there is no need to vaccinate persons other than those at particularly high risk of exposure. Routine vaccination is not necessary for persons living in areas with enzootic plague such as the western United States. It is not indicated for most travelers to countries reporting cases, * particularly if their travel is limited to urban areas with modern hotel accommodations. Many plague patients in the western United States are infected as a direct result of wild-rodent plague in the immediate vicinity of their homes. Recommended risk-reduction measures include eliminating wild-rodent harborage and food sources near homes, ridding pet dogs and cats of fleas at least weekly, and avoiding direct contact with sick or dead rodents. In most countries of Africa, Asia, and South America where plague is reported, the risk of exposure exists primarily in rural mountainous or upland areas. Following natural disasters and at times when regular sanitary practices are interrupted, plague can extend from its usual areas of endemicity into urban centers. Rarely, pneumonic plague has been reported in conjunction with outbreaks of bubonic plague, and tourist travel to areas with reported cases of plague should be avoided.
Future Questions
Will The Plague ever come back?
The plague was never wiped out, it still remains with around 7,000 cases a year, but it won't ever reach pandemic proportions again.
Will The Bubonic Plague ever become resistant to the Plague Vaccine?
The Plague will most likely become resistant to Plague Vaccine because everything evolves, meaning that the Plague will change itself and then the vaccine won't fit the new strain of the Plague.
Is it possible for the Black Death to come back stronger than ever?
It is very unlikely, because unlike in previous times, we currently have advanced medication and vaccines which are effective at stopping and containing the disease. And although there are 7,000 cases a year, governments and government agencies such as the CDC have managed to keep these cases lowering, so realistically , it is unlikely for it to reach pandemic levels again.
What is the future for the Bubonic Plague?
The Bubonic Plague will slowly deteriorate unless sanitary conditions break down and more people come into contact with areas likely to harbour the disease. Other than that it is to be wiped out eventually.
Will the Black Death ever be eradicated?
The Black Death is currently containable to very unsanitary areas and there are only around 7,000 cases of the disease being caught each year, with an even smaller death toll. The Black Death is likely to be eradicated as it is currently under control and the number of cases of the disease are slowly lowering.
The plague was never wiped out, it still remains with around 7,000 cases a year, but it won't ever reach pandemic proportions again.
Will The Bubonic Plague ever become resistant to the Plague Vaccine?
The Plague will most likely become resistant to Plague Vaccine because everything evolves, meaning that the Plague will change itself and then the vaccine won't fit the new strain of the Plague.
Is it possible for the Black Death to come back stronger than ever?
It is very unlikely, because unlike in previous times, we currently have advanced medication and vaccines which are effective at stopping and containing the disease. And although there are 7,000 cases a year, governments and government agencies such as the CDC have managed to keep these cases lowering, so realistically , it is unlikely for it to reach pandemic levels again.
What is the future for the Bubonic Plague?
The Bubonic Plague will slowly deteriorate unless sanitary conditions break down and more people come into contact with areas likely to harbour the disease. Other than that it is to be wiped out eventually.
Will the Black Death ever be eradicated?
The Black Death is currently containable to very unsanitary areas and there are only around 7,000 cases of the disease being caught each year, with an even smaller death toll. The Black Death is likely to be eradicated as it is currently under control and the number of cases of the disease are slowly lowering.