In the Middle Ages, the plague caused tens of millions of deaths in Europe in a series of outbreaks known as the Black Death. And although it is extremely rare in modern times, the deadly bacterial infection is still prevalent today – but how likely are you to catch it?
This week, California reported them first case of plague in five years. The patient, a resident of the South Lake Tahoe area, is said to be recovering at home. And in July, a 15-year-old boy died in western Mongolia bubonic plague that he contracted from an infected marmot.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 3,248 cases were reported between 2010 and 2015, resulting in 584 deaths. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Peru were the countries most affected.
Reports of the plague can be scary – but experts say there is little cause for concern in most cases.
What is the plague?
Pest is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which affects humans and other mammals. There are three types of plague: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.
Bubonic is the most common form, and more than 80% of cases in the Pneumonic Plague of the US are the most serious.
Many animals can get the plague, including stone squirrels, wooden rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mice, voles, and rabbits. It is typically transmitted from animals to humans, with much rarer cases of the disease being spread person to person.
How is the plague transmitted?
The plague is transmitted through flies that feed on rodents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People typically get bubonic or septicemic plague after being bitten by a flower that carries the bacteria.
Humans can also contract the disease when treating an infected animal, resulting in bubonic or septicemic plague.
In some cases, people can catch the pneumonic plague when an infected person coughs, causing infected droplets to spread. This is the only way for the plague to spread among humans.
Cats and dogs can both lead to human infections. Cats are particularly susceptible to becoming ill, and have been linked in recent decades to several cases of human plague in the US via respiratory driplets.
What are the symptoms of the plague?
A key symptom of bubonic plague are buboes: painful, swollen lymph nodes in the body or armpits. Other symptoms include fever, weakness, cough and chills.
Patients with septicemic disease develop fever, chills, extreme weakness, adnominal pain, shock, and possibly internal bleeding. Skin and other tissues, especially on fingers, toes, and nose can turn black and die.
Patients with pneumonic plague – the most serious form of the disease – develop fever, headache, weakness, pneumonia, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and sometimes bloody or watery mucus. Pneumonia could cause respiratory failure and shock.
Which regions are most affected by the plague?
The plague was first introduced in the US in 1900, from steamships carrying infected rats. The last urban outbreak of rat-associated plague in the US was in Los Angeles between 1924 and 1925.
“The risk is related to both the prevalence of pests where you live and the types of exposures you need to have rodents and meat,” Drs. Erica S. Shenoy, a medical director and associate chief at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, told CBS News on Wednesday.
In the US, an average of seven plague cases per year are reported to the CDC from the western part of the country, mainly in rural areas. Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico are the most affected states, where the bacterium is not uncommon.
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Dr Robyn RM Gershon, a professor and program director at the NYU School of Global Public Health, told CBS News on Wednesday that only people living in an area where the disease is common should be concerned.
“With proper precautions, you can prevent contact with potentially infected meat,” Gershon said. “If you get infected, there is very good treatment available with antibiotics. The only risk is that the infection is not diagnosed immediately, which then can lead to more serious illness.”
There have been five cases in the US so far this year. A significantly higher proportion of cases are reported in parts of Africa and Asia, but it can be found on all continents except Oceania.
How is plague treated?
“Infections in humans are rare,” he said. Gershon. “Most recover, although sometimes there is a death related to some of the more severe forms that the disease can take.”
Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for survival and reduction of future complications. Common antibiotics, such as streptomycin, can prevent complications if they die in some cases, if they are administered shortly after symptoms present themselves.
Untreated bubonic or septicemic plague can develop into pneumonic plague, which spreads to the lungs. The bubonic type has a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60%, according to the WHO.
Pneumonic plague, if left untreated, is always fatal within 18 to 24 hours.
“The key for clinicians is first and foremost pestilence, getting the right specimens to make a diagnosis, and starting treatment even before the diagnosis is made – as soon as you suspect it, you should start treatment while the evaluation continues, ”Shenoy said.
There is currently no vaccine available for the plague in the US, but researchers are investigating various options to try to eradicate it. No faxes will be commercially available in the near future.
How can I protect myself from the plague?
“It is important that individuals take precautionary measures for themselves and their pets when they are outdoors, especially when walking, walking and / or camping in areas where wild rodents are present,” said California, El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams this week. “Human cases of plague are very rare, but can be very serious.”
Low levels of the bacterium persist in certain rodent communities without causing a significant die-off, making the disease difficult to eradicate completely.
Eliminating rodents is a method of prevention methods. Removing nesting sites – brush, rock, trash, firewood and possible food supplies – will help round houses and workplaces.
If you encounter a sick or dead animal, do not pick it up yourself, especially without gloves. Contact your local health department regarding disposal.
Using insect repellent containing DEET, meat bites could occur during camping, hiking, or other outdoor activities.
It is also important to treat dogs and cats for flies on a regular basis, and the CDC advises not to sleep in the same bed with pets roaming free in endemic areas.
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