Featured Post

Health topic: Plague - World Health Organization

Health topic: Plague - World Health Organization


Health topic: Plague - World Health Organization

Posted: 04 Dec 2019 10:30 AM PST

People infected with plague usually develop influenza-like symptoms after an incubation period of 3–7 days. Symptoms include fever, chills, aches, weakness, vomiting and nausea.

There are 3 main forms of plague.

Bubonic plague is the most common and is caused by the bite of an infected flea. The plague bacillus, Y. pestis, enters at the bite and travels to the nearest lymph node to replicate. The lymph node becomes inflamed, tense and painful, and is called a bubo. With advanced infections, the inflamed lymph nodes can turn into suppurating open sores. Bubonic plague cannot be transmitted from human to human.

Septicaemic plague occurs when infection spreads through the bloodstream. It may result from flea bites or from direct contact with infective materials through cracks in the skin. Advanced stages of the bubonic form of plague will also lead to direct spread of Y. pestis in the blood.

Pneumonic plague – or lung-based plague – is the most virulent and least common form of plague. Typically, it is caused by spread to the lungs from advanced bubonic plague. However, a person with secondary pneumonic plague may form aerosolized infective droplets and transmit plague to other humans. This is usually fatal.

Comments

Popular Posts

“Teaching a pandemic in real time, part 2 . Princeton professors share how they incorporate the study - Princeton University” plus 1 more

Navel Orangeworm Plague Might be Growing Out of Control - Growing Produce