1. By Ryan Pearmain

2. What is Yersinia Pestis?  It is a bacterial disease that is most commonly characterized by having huge lymph glands and cause death.

3. Death? How?  Yersinia Pestis gets transmitted into the blood stream and infects every cell. They then Lysis (explode) from the cell and move on.  The immune system cannot kill it because it hides within the cell that it is attacking.

4. Victims  Basically, everyone and everything.  Common transportation, the flea which is on the rat and then transferred to humans.  If it’s not treated within 48 hours, death is pretty much a guarantee.

5. In the World  The most common form that Yersinia Pestis takes is in the Bubonic plague. It wiped out 1/3 of the worlds population during the Medieval Ages and the Renaissance.  Originated in China and moved along the trade routes to Europe. The rest is history.  Found today in warmer areas of the world.  Forms are Bubonic, Pneumonic, and Septicemic.

6. So….If you get it, what happens?  Well, the most common characteristic is that you form large and tender lymph nodes or buboes. These are usually filled with puss, blood, and other nasty stuff. It will continue and then simply shut down your body

7. Scared? Possibly  There are strands found throughout the world, but as of right now they aren’t a threat to humanity  HOWEVER!! There is news that the bacteria is starting to mutate and could pose a threat again…

8. Sources  http://web.uconn.edu/mcbstaff/graf/Student%20presentations /Y.%20pestis/Yersinia%20pestis.html http://web.uconn.edu/mcbstaff/graf/Student%20presentations /Y.%20pestis/Yersinia%20pestis.html  http://www.atsu.edu/faculty/chamberlain/Website/lectures/lec ture/plague.htm http://www.atsu.edu/faculty/chamberlain/Website/lectures/lec ture/plague.htm  http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/bubonic_plague.a sp http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/bubonic_plague.a sp