After a series of biochemical tests and evaluation to determine several unknown bacteria, the bacterium Yersinia pestis was chosen to report. The discovery of Y. pestis dates back to 1894 by French/Swiss physician and bacteriologist named Alexandre Yersin. The name Yersinia pestis is synonymous with its more common name, the plague. Y. pestis is known to infect small rodents such as mice and rats, but is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected animal or flea. Although this bacterium
The pathogen Y. Pestis is particularly good at surviving in both animals and insects, and does not require a human host to survive and thrive. [9]. Because it doesn’t necessarily have to inhabit a human to survive, Y. Pestis can survive for a very long period of time outside of a human host. [9]. In terms of pathogenic reservoirs, the bacteria rely on human and animal reservoirs, as well as environmental reservoirs (the bacteria can survive in soil for several months). [9]. Outside of humans, one
Causal Agent: The Plague is caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis. Which “was discovered by Yersin (a french physician) in 1894” as stated by the Journal La Peste Bubonique. Yersinia Pestis is a gram negative bacterium which is a rod shaped coccobacillus. Clinical Disease: The Plague attacks in three different type of forms. The bubonic plague which is the most common type, leads one to death within 5 days if not treated or naturally cured. The bubonic plague normally results in the
Yersinia pestis – Gerneal Infection, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the infamous Black Death, spread by rat fleas, has cast a shadow over human civilization, taken the lives of countless peasants and nobles alike like a violent brute who murders invariably. There are three major forms of infection stages, the bubonic plague, the septicemic plague, and the pneumonic plague (primary and secondary), all are lethal if not treated with proper antibiotics. Due
contributed to the spread of the disease throughout the continent. In October of 1347, several Italian merchant ships returned from a trip to the Black Sea. These ships carried a cargo of flea infested rats, which had guts full of the bacillus Yersinia pestis (the bacteria which causes the plague). Inspectors attempted to quarantine the fleet, but it was too late. Realizing what a deadly disaster had come to them, the people quickly drove the Italians from their city. But the disease remained, and soon
Fast and Furious: The Yersinia pestis Bacterium In 2014, Italy auctioned off Poveglia, one of its islands near Venice, for about $700,000 in order to help pay off some of the country’s national debt and conform to the European Union’s budgeting guidelines (Landini & Trogni, 2014). To most people, the thought of an Italian island near Venice may evoke charm, romance, and exoticness. Unfortunately, Poveglia is not that island. With its sordid past, Poveglia has been a deserted island for over 40
deadliest epidemics to ever hit mankind. It is estimated that this epidemic killed nearly 30%-60% of the population depending on the location. Recently, scholars have argued over the existence of the Black Death as a Plague in the form of Yersinia Pestis. Many argue, through scientific research and primary sources, that the Black Death was indeed a plague. Their critics argue that there is not enough evidence in the correlation of the scientific research and the primary sources to conclude that the
Madeleine Youngblood Period 5 Plague, Biology There are many names for the disease; The Black Death, The Great Mortality, La Pest. [3]. In today’s world, however, most people know it simply as The Plague. The plague, scientifically known as Yersinia Pestis, is a zoonotic, non-motile, non-spore forming bacteria that is classified in humans in three forms; Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic plague. [3] The plague pathogen has scarred humanity's history, taking over 85 million lives throughout its raging
growth in the esophagus, the bacteria prevent food from entering the flea’s stomach. The flea then begins to starve and goes on a blood sucking spree. Again, due to the overcrowding of bacterial growth in the esophagus, the flee vomits the Yersina pestis into the victim’s skin during feeding. From there, “the germs invade nearly lymph glands in the bitten animal and produce an inflamed lymph node called a bubo.” (quoted on emedicinehealth.com) Buboes appear around the groin, armpit, or neck. The plague
1. Location: Mandritsara (Madagascar) 2. Diseases listed: Malaria, Dengue, Plague 3. Details of the outbreak On 10 December 2013, BBC news/Africa reported a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague in a village near Mandritsarad in the north-western part of Madagascar. The outbreak that occurred a week earlier, was revealed after the death of 20 people in the village. Tests conducted on the bodies by The Pasteur Institute in Madagascar certified that the death was related to the bubonic plague. Since
Death was caused by the bacterium called Yersinia Pestis during the 13th century. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague was caused by a single contamination of one person. The Black Death was caused by a single bacterium, overcrowding in areas like Europe, which effected a huge part of the population by simply killing it off. The Black Death started with a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis. “Yersinia Pestis, or known as pasteurella pestis, causes severe illness but more commonly death upon
DISEASE) caused by a gram negative bacterium Yersinia pestis. Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. The bacteria are mainly found in rats and in the fleas that feed on them. Plague is transmitted to humans or other animals from rats and fleas bite that is carrying the plague bacterium, scratches from infected animals, inhalation of aerosols or consumption of food contaminated with the plague bacterium i.e. Yersinia pestis. In the past, plague destroyed entire civilization; no
of the three plagues. The bubonic plague occurs when fleas feed on the blood of infected rodents, which are usually rats (Poland 1). The bacterium that causes the infection is known as Yersenia Pestis. The fleas then pass the bacteria when they bite a human or when materials infected with Yersenia pestis directly enters the body through a wound. The names of this plague come from the swellings, also known as buboes, that appeared on a victim’s neck, armpits, or groin (Gottfried,1).The lymph nodes
What is the Plague? The Plague is an infectious disease that affects rodents, certain other animals and humans. Its is caused by the Yersinia Pestis bacteria. How do you know that you have the plague? Fever and chills, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, bleeding from your mouth, nose or rectum, or under your skin, shock, blackening and death of tissue (gangrene) in your extremities, most commonly your fingers, toes and nose.The Plague is a bacterial disease that is infamous for causing millions
were three great waves of plague, the Great Plague of Europe in the 14th century was the most devastating, violent, and most viral out of the three waves. The main cause of the Great Plague of Europe came from a deadly bacterium known as Yersinia Pestis. A smear of the bubonic plague is evades the human body and concentrates itself in the lymph node. A plague patient’s blood profile would contain or... ... middle of paper ... ...Diseases, 49(10), i. 4. The Black Death, 1348," EyeWitness to History
unknown until people started to notice problems that other people were having. The Black Death or “plague” that killed thousands in the fourteenth century may have evolved into a more modern version of itself. The “plague” is known as the “Yersinia pestis” bacteria, which is a rare zoonotic disease. These diseases are spread from animal to human (Newquist 239, Adamloakun M.D. 718). The bacterium lives in rodents such as rats and is carried by fleas (Newquist 238). When the fleas bite humans, the bacterium
changed the economy, culture, and religious beliefs. To begin, modern technology and knowledge granted people with insight on what initiated the Black Death. The bubonic plague was generated by bacteria called, Yersinia Pestis “The Global Impacts of the Black Death”. Yersinia Pestis is carried and spread by fleas transported by rats. Eventually, the rat would die due to excessive flea bites and multiplying bacteria, but the flea would survive and move to humans and other animals. Many believed the
Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis. This infection was named after Alexandre Yersin, a bacteriologist and physician who first discovered that this bacterium was the cause of the bubonic plague. Bubonic plague is known by different names such as Black Death and Black Plague. Black Death and Black Plague seemed to have been the perfect names at the moment because black symbolizes pain, misery, and death. The appearance of a black dot in the underarm area also influenced
debated today, but most historians believe that it was the result of a plague with bacteria. The bubonic plague most likely affected humans with a bacterium that caused many problems. The bacterium that caused the bubonic plague is called Yersinia pestis. A combination of old historical records and details give some evidence that the bubonic plague was indeed caused by this bacteria. Scientists have worked to obtain even more evidence by excavations. Burial sites from the Black Death period were excavated
this catastrophe has seldom been rivaled by another. But what was this disease? Many scientists and historical scholars believe this disaster to be the work of the bubonic plague, a deadly infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis or Y. pestis (Nardo, 13). However, evidence has surfaced in the past fifty years to suggest that the Black Death was not, or at least not only, the bubonic plague. In truth, this epidemic was not the bubonic plague or any other single disease; it was two