Ring Around the Rosie

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Recommended: Essays on the bubonic plague

Ring Around the Rosie

The bubonic plague is a zoonotic disease, carried and transferred by the fleas on small rodents. Without treatment, the disease kills 2/3 of infected humans within the first four days of infection. The most vile symptom that first appears on the infected is an infection to the lymph glands after being bit by a flea which carried the virus. These, when infected with the plague, are called buboes and are most often found on the victim's armpits, crotch and neck area. Other symptoms of the plague are chills, high fever, muscle cramps, seizures, vomiting and anything else your worst enemy would wish upon you. All the symptoms though, are caused by the skin decomposing. The Black Plague is so deadly that your body begins to starts to decompose and shut down before you're even dead.

The bubonic plague is caused by an infection of the lymphatic system. It is very rare that the disease would be spread from human to human. When it does spread from human contact, it's a slightly different version of the virus. When the rat dies, the flea seeks a new host to infect. The bacteria lives inside the digestive system of the animal until it also passes away from the black plague. The symptoms for the rats were roughly the same as for humans. The plague means nothing but death for anyone.

Treatment for the bubonic plague was nonexistent until the 1900's and antibiotics were prescribed for the patients. Currently, the 1-6 cases that pop up in America each year, the patients are given streptomycin, gentamicin and other aminoglycosides. These, if given within the first 48 hours of the bite, have a 100% success rate.

However, until we had what we do now, attempts to cure it included vinegar treatment of the buboes, cutting ope...

... middle of paper ...

...re than bubonic, it spreads far quicker.
The word “quarantine” comes from the Italian word quarantena which means 40 days, the period of isolation that was practiced during the black death to the family of the deceased from bubonic plague.
During the time the black plague was seriously, quickly wiping out nearly everyone, none of the doctors or scientists suspected it could the fleas or rat's fault. There is no documented proof of anyone having a clue what the cause could be other than God sending punishment for everyone.
Today, it's primarily affecting those in Africa due to the high rat populations and the poor hygiene practice.

Sources: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/black_death_of_1348_to_1350.htm http://www.medieval-life.net/black_death.htm http://www.history.com/topics/black-death http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/5080433/the-black-plague-of-1900

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