The bubonic plague, caused by a bacterial infection, was chillingly known as “Black Death” when it wiped out some 50 million people in Africa, Asia and Europe in the Middle Ages.
Its dark nickname refers to gangrenous blackening and death of body parts, including fingers and toes, which can occur as the disease devastates the body, according to the BBC.
How is bubonic plague treated?
However, unlike in the 14th century, patients today can receive effective treatment with modern antibiotics, which can prevent complications and death.
What causes bubonic plague?
Bubonic plague is the most common type of the disease, caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis that lives in some animals, mainly rodents, and their fleas.
Its name comes from the symptoms it causes: painful and swollen lymph nodes, or “buboes”, in the groin or armpit, according to the news outlet, which said 3,248 cases were reported worldwide, including 584 deaths, from 2010 to 2015
How common is it?
According to the World Health Organization, between 1,000 and 2,000 people contract the plague each year, but that estimate is probably too low since it does not take into account unreported cases, CNN reported.
In the United States, there have been a few dozen cases each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2015, two people in Colorado died from the plague, according to the network.
From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths, Reuters reported.
What are the symptoms?
A person usually becomes ill two to six days after becoming infected, and may experience a variety of symptoms in addition to enlarged lymph nodes, including fever, chills, headaches, muscle pain, and fatigue.
The disease can also affect the lungs, causing cough and chest pain, as well as difficulty breathing.
The bacteria can also infiltrate the bloodstream and cause sepsis, a life-threatening complication of an infection, which can lead to tissue damage and organ failure.
People can become infected by flea bites, come into contact with infected animals, and inhale aerosol drops spread by people and animals.
The infection could also enter the body through a cut in the skin if the person came into close contact with the blood of an infected animal.
Dr. Matthew Dryden, a microbiologist at the University of Southampton in the UK, told the BBC that it was good for the Chinese authorities to identify the latest case in Inner Mongolia at an early stage because it can be isolated.
“Bubonic plague is caused by bacteria and, unlike COVID-19, is easily treated with antibiotics. So while this may seem alarming, as it is another major infectious disease emerging from the east, it appears to be a suspicious case that can be easily treated, ”she said.
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