1. Plague
By Kerri Kessler

2. History of the Plague
Plague was the cause of some of the most horrific epidemics in history. The bubonic plague bacillus was discovered by Alexandre Yersin, a Swiss-born, French bacteriologist. When it was found it was know as Pasteurella pestis, but is now called Yersinia pestis.
During the 14th century, nearly one-third of Europe’s population died. These casualties were caused by the disease behind the Black Death. A wave of anxiety also rose in because of the dangerous Plague in Asia in the late 19th...

3. What it is
Plague is caused by the bacterial disease Yersinia pestis. Plague is divided into three main types: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic, depending on which part of your body is involved. Signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of plague.

4. How it’s spread
Bubonic plague and septicemic plague are transmitted primarily by the bite from infected fleas, although, transmission can occur by bites or scratches from infected wild rodents and cats, or contact with tissue from infected animals. Bubonic plague is rarely spread from person-to-person. Pneumonic plague occurs when a person inhales the plague bacteria. Pneumonic plague is far more contagious because it can be spread from person-to-person through the air by sneezing or coughing.

5. Statistics
Plague is very rare in the United States. There are on average 7 cases of the plague reported each year. Mainly in rural areas of the Southwest. 80% of those plague cases are bubonic plague.

6. Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague is the most common variety of the disease. It's named after the buboes (swollen lymph nodes), which typically develop within a week after an infected flea bites you.
Signs of plague can be found in the groin, armpit or neck. They are about the size of a chicken egg, and are tender or warm when touched.
Other symptoms may include:
Sudden feelings of fever and chills
Headache
Fatigue or malaise
Muscle aches

7. Bubonic Plague

8. Septicemic Plague Some symptoms include: 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
Septicemic plague occurs when the plague bacteria multiplies in your bloodstream.

9. Pneumonic Plague
Pneumonic plague affects the lungs. It is the least common type of plague but the most dangerous. This type of plague progresses quickly and may cause respiratory failure and shock within two days of infection. If antibiotic treatment isn't initiated within a day after signs and symptoms first appear, the infection is likely to be fatal.
Symptoms and signs can begin within a few hours after infection, and may include:
Cough, with bloody sputum
Difficulty breathing
High fever
Nausea and vomiting
Weakness

10. Pneumonic plague

11. A cool Fact!
Ring around the Rosy is actually a song about the Black Plague that originated in England. It says, "Ring around the rosy" meaning the red, rosy rings that form around the sores when you are infected. "Pocket full of Posy" resembles the sweet-smelling herbs, called posies, that were placed in peoples' pockets because they thought that bad smells contracted disease. "Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down" is translated to be the massive amounts of death and cremation of bodies during the 14th century in Europe when the disease broke out.