{"id":1486,"date":"2020-04-29T12:07:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T12:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.kayawell.com\/?p=1486"},"modified":"2020-04-30T13:13:23","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T13:13:23","slug":"plague-overview-symptoms-causes-and-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/plague-overview-symptoms-causes-and-prevention","title":{"rendered":"Plague- Overview, Symptoms, Causes and Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plague is a\nsevere bacterial infection mainly spread by fleas. The plague-causing organism,\nYersinia pestis, lives in the most commonly found small rodents in rural and\nsemirural areas of Africa, Asia and the United States. The organism is spread\nto humans bitten by fleas that have been feeding on infected rodents or by\nhumans that have been handling infected animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Identified\nduring medieval times as the Black Death, today plague occurs worldwide in\nminimum 5,000 people. It can be deadly if antibiotics aren&#8217;t treated promptly.\nThe most common type of plague results in swollen and tender lymph nodes in the\ngroin, armpits or neck \u00e2\u20ac\u201d called buboes. The rarest and most deadly type of\nplague affects the lungs, and it can spread from person to another person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pest is\nclassified into three major forms-bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic-depending\non which part of the body is involved. Symptoms and symptoms differ according\nto the type of plague. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bubonic plague<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most\ncommon form of the disease is the bubonic plague. It&#8217;s named after the swollen\nlymph nodes (buboes) that usually form after you are infected during the first\nweek. May it be buboes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Situated in the groin, armpit or neck<\/li><li>About the size of the chicken egg<\/li><li>Tender and firm to the touch<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Other signs\nand symptoms of bubonic plague can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sudden onset of fever and chills<\/li><li>Headache<\/li><li>Tiredness or malaise<\/li><li>Muscle pains<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Septicemic plague<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Septicemic\nplague happens when bacteria from the plague multiply in the bloodstream. Signs\nand symptoms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Fever and chills<\/li><li>Severe fatigue<\/li><li>Stomach discomfort, diarrhoea and vomiting<\/li><li>Shock<\/li><li>Blacking and tissue death at the extremities,\nmost usually your fingertips, toes and nose.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pneumonic plague<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pneumonic\nplague has an effect on the lungs. It is the least common type of plague but\nthe most severe since it can be transmitted by cough droplets from person to\nperson. Signs and symptoms may start within hours of infection, and may\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Cough, with bloody mucus <\/li><li>Breathing problems<\/li><li>Nausea and vomiting<\/li><li>Fever<\/li><li>Headache<\/li><li>Fatigue<\/li><li>Chest pain<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Pneumonic\nplague increases fastly, and within two days of infection can cause respiratory\nfailure and shock. Pneumonic plague needs to be treated with antibiotics within\none day after the occurrence of signs and symptoms of the infection is likely\nto be fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When to see a doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you start\nfeeling sick and are in an environment where plague is known to occur, seek\nurgent medical attention. You may need drug treatment to avoid severe\ncomplications or death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plague\nwas spread to humans in many western and southwestern states in the United\nStates \u00e2\u20ac\u201d primarily New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado. Plague is most\nwidespread worldwide in rural and semirural parts of Africa, South America, and\nAsia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Causes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plague bacterium,\nYersinia pestis, is transmitted to humans by bites of fleas previously fed on\ninfected animals, e.g.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Rats<\/li><li>Mice<\/li><li>Squirrels<\/li><li>Rabbits<\/li><li>Prairie dogs<\/li><li>Chipmunks<\/li><li>Voles<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The bacteria\nmay also enter your body if infected animal blood comes into contact with a\nbreak in your skin. Domestic cats and dogs can be infected with plague caused\nby flea bites or by eating infected rodents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pneumonic\nplague, which affects the lungs, is transmitted by inhalation of contagious\ndroplets coughed by a sick animal or human into the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Risk factors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The risk of\nplague spreading is very small. Just a few thousand people grow plague every\nyear worldwide. However, your risk of plague can increase depending on the\nregion you are living and travelling in, your work and your hobbies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Location<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plague\noutbreaks are most common in overcrowded rural and semirural areas, with poor\nsanitation and a high rodent population. In Africa, the largest number of human\nplague infections occurs, particularly on Madagascar&#8217;s African island. The\nplague was also transmitted to human beings in parts of Asia and South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plague is\nrare in the United States, although it has been known to occur in many Western\nand Southwestern states \u00e2\u20ac\u201d mainly New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Job<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Veterinarians\nand their assistants are at increased risk of coming into contact with domestic\ncats and dogs that may have been plague-infected. Individuals who work outside\nin places where plague-infected animals are common are often at greater risk of\nplague. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hobbies&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Camping,\nfishing, or hiking in plague-infected areas will increase the risk of being\nbitten by an infected flea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Complications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plague\ncomplications may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Death:<\/strong> Most people on timely antibiotic\ntreatment survive the bubonic plague. The untreated plague has high rates of\nfatality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gangrene:<\/strong> Blood clots in the tiny blood\nvessels of your fingers and toes can disrupt blood flow and cause that tissue to\ndie. The portions of your fingers and toes that have died may need to be\nremoved (amputated).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Meningitis:<\/strong> Rarely plague can cause the\nmembranes covering your brain and spinal cord (meningitis) to become swell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prevention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no\neffective vaccine available but one is being developed by scientists. If you\nare at risk of plague or have been exposed to it, antibiotics can help avoid\ninfection. Whether you are living or spending time in places where plague\noutbreaks occur, take the following precautions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Rodent-proof\nyour home:<\/strong> Remove potential nesting areas such as brush piles, rock,\nfirewood and junk. Don&#8217;t leave pet food in areas easily accessible to rodents.\nIf you become aware of an infestation by rodents, take steps to control it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Keep\nyour pets flea free:<\/strong> Ask your veterinarian which products would work best\nfor flea control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Wear\ngloves:<\/strong>&nbsp; Wear gloves to avoid contact\nbetween your skin and the harmful bacteria when handling potentially infected\nanimals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Use\ninsect repellent:<\/strong> When spending time outdoors in areas with significant\nrodent populations, closely supervise the children and pets. Use insect cream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview Plague is a severe bacterial infection mainly spread by fleas. The plague-causing organism, Yersinia pestis, lives in the most commonly found small rodents in rural and semirural areas of Africa, Asia and the United States. The organism is spread to humans bitten by fleas that have been feeding on infected rodents or by humans [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1486"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1486\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}