BUBONIC PLAGUEYersinia pestis

What is the Plague?

Disease Causing Agent Gram negative, rod shaped bacteria

Yersinia pestis

Facultative anaerobe

Discovered in 1894 by Alexander Yersin

Swiss/French Physician and Bacteriologist

Symptoms and Signs Swelling of lymph nodes (buboes) Acral gangrene Fever Chills Coughing Headache Seizures Nausea Heavy breathing Vomiting Joint aching Bleeding from ears

Vectors and Transmission Bacteria (pathogen)

Flea (in gut)

Rodent (carrier)

Human (in blood)

Treatment Antibiotics

Circulatory support

Ventilation

Renal support

Plague through History

The Plague of Justinian 541 – 542, Byzantine Empire

Spread through Asia, North Africa, and Europe

Probably originated in Egypt or China

Killed as many as 5,000 people per day in Constantinople, for a total of ~40% of the population

~25 million total deaths

The Plague of Justinian

The Black Death 1347, Black Death hit

Europe, killing around a third of the population

Originated near China, and first passed through Italy

Once sick, plague victims had approximately a 50% survival rate

The Black Death Killed around 25

million people in Europe

Estimated to have killed around 75 million people worldwide

The Black Death Doctors thought that

the plague was caused by bad air

Many people wore flowers to ward off the ‘bad air’

The Black Death Controversial explanation of the “Ring Around the Rosie” children’s rhyme

The Black Death Monty Python

The Third Plague Pandemic 1855, started in China, spread worldwide Lasted for approximately 100 years

The Third Plague Pandemic Killed 12 million people in

India over 30 years

Came from endemic population living in rodents

Was stable, but a rebellion caused movement of populations out of the region

Did not hit mainland America, but did hit Hawaii (1899) and Puerto Rico (1912)

The Third Plague Pandemic

Plague Today 10 – 15 cases in

U.S. per year

1,000 – 3,000 cases worldwide per year

Found in NM, AZ, CO, CA, & OR

Plague in New Mexico

http://nmhealth.org/ERD/HealthData/plague.shtml

Plague in New Mexico

http://nmhealth.org/ERD/HealthData/plague.shtml

Biological Warfare 14th century armies

catapulted diseased corpses over city walls

1940 Imperial Japanese Army bombed Chinese cities with plague fleas during the Second Sino-Japanese War

Concerns for the future…

Biological Warfare Classified by the

CDC as a Category A Pathogen

Requires preparation for a possible terrorist attack

Discussion Questions What was the most important factor for plague

to spread? What made plague such a terrible disease? What is the best way to prevent the spread of

plague? What would happen if plague was used as a

biological weapon today? Do you think there would be a pandemic?

Assessment1. List the transmission chain of bubonic

plague.2. What are 5 symptoms of this disease?3. Why haven’t we eradicated plague like we

did smallpox?4. Approximately what percentage of the

population of Europe died during the Black Death?

5. What did doctors think caused plague during the Black Death pandemic?

Assessment6. Write 8 to 12 sentences discussing

whether bubonic plague is a major threat to national security today. Justify your position.

Bibliography Biddle, Wayne (2002). A Field Guide to Germs (2nd Anchor Books ed.).

New York: Anchor Books. McCormick, Michael (2007). "Toward a Molecular History of the

Justinian Pandemic." In: Little, Lester K. editor. (2007), Plague and the End of Antiquity: The Pandemic of 541–750. Cambridge University Press. (2007).

Scott, Susan, and C. J. Duncan (2001). Biology of Plagues: Evidence from Historical Populations. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Bartelloni, Peter J.; Marshall, John D., Jr.; Cavanaugh, Dan C. (1973). "Clinical and serological responses to plague vaccine U.S.P". Military Medicine 138 (11): 720–722.

Echenberg, Myron J. (2007). Plague Ports: The Global Urban Impact of Bubonic Plague, 1894-1901. New York, NY: New York University Press.

Echenberg,Myron (2002). Pestis Redux: The Initial Years of the Third Bubonic Plague Pandemic, 1894-1901. Journal of World History,vol 13,2

Echenberg,Myron (2002). Pestis Redux: The Initial Years of the Third Bubonic Plague Pandemic, 1894-1901. Journal of World History,vol 13,2