Epidemic Shuts The Great Plague, Could It Happen Again?

Medical Video: Could the Black Death (The Plague) Happen Again?

Have you heard The Great Plague of London? This is one of the historical tragedies that killed 15% of the citizens of London, England. This incident that occurred from 1665 to 1666 gave great fear to its citizens. Residents with high economic status decided to move inland, but residents with low economic status stayed in their homes and waited for their deaths. Told in its history, even the King of England at that time, Charless II, decided to move to Oxford because of the danger of the epidemic.

Patients will display symptoms of black bumps around the armpits, thighs, and neck. The sufferer also feels an unbearable headache followed by vomiting and fever.

Various methods are tried as a preventive and repressive way. Trust in those days made children bring some rosebuds as a way to prevent the spread of this disease. For those who have bad luck; contracting this disease, leeches are believed to be able to suck up the dirty blood that causes this disease. However, all the results are nil. Falling victims are inevitable. These victims were mass buried by putting in a large hole.

Luckily, this disease only occurs in one year; imagine if it happened for years. There are several possibilities why this disease is truly "cured" from London. First, London's big fire or The Great Fire of London which "helps" turn off the source of this disease. In addition, cold air also improves the atmosphere by turning off the source of this disease.

What is this disease actually? Although at that time this disease was considered a curse from God. Now, researchers provide answers to a number of things about diseases that are nothing but not carried by rodents who love being in human life; rat.

Yersinia pestis, the deadly plague that is the culprit

Three hundred and fifty years after this outbreak was truly dead, researchers conducted DNA tests on the teeth of the victims of this outbreak. Research conducted at the Max Planck Institute states clearly that the bioterrorism that occurred three centuries ago is nothing but not caused by Yersinia pestis.

Yersinia pestis was first discovered by Alexandre Yersin in 1894. Flea rat, Xenopsylla cheopis, hosts this bacterium and resides in the body of mice infected with this bacterium. After mice are infected, the bites from these mice can be very dangerous for humans and other mammals. In other cases, in the 14th century, Europeans once lacked due wool Y. pestis attack the sheep.

There are three forms of disease caused by infection Y. pestis this; bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. In the case of The Great Plague of London, the most bubonic cases occur. This disease is characterized by a lump in the lymph node gland called bubo. Usually, this lump can grow to the size of an egg. This lump is also usually around the neck, armpit and inner thighs. After infection, 2-6 days is the incubation time for this bacterium. After a maximum of 6 days, fever, dizziness, and excessive fatigue can be a feature of a person affected by bubonic disease this. There is one side effect that causes sufferers to get black marks on the body because of this disease. The bubonic mortality rate is 1-10% in treated cases and 40-60% for untreated cases.

Besides bubonic, there is also septicemic. Septicemic occurs after a person has previously been attacked by bubonic disease. Symptoms that are displayed like the flu, this makes septicemic difficult to diagnose. This results in an increase in death rates in patients to 40% in treated cases and 100% in untreated cases.

The most serious disease caused by Y. pestis is pneumonic. Symptoms are coughing, bloody phlegm, chest pain, and bluish body. If not treated within 24 hours, this disease can cause death with a 100% death rate.

Is there a cure for yersinia pestis?

Before starting treatment, the presence of Y. pestis bacteria is tested by passive hemaglutination test (PHA). After being tested positive, the test x-ray in the lungs, sputum tests, and splenic node tests are needed to see if there are signs of pneumonic disease.

In someone who is associated with a pathogen, for example in a place affected by a natural disaster, the use of a vaccine to momentarily paralyze Y. pestis can be done; this vaccine also existed from the middle of the 19th century. However, the rate of recovery is still debated, so it is necessary to use the antibiotics streptomycin and chloramphenicol to paralyze these bacteria. Combined therapy is also needed to increase the cure rate.

Can this deadly epidemic happen again today?

It's fortunate that we live in the 21st century because antibiotics have been found. Just imagine for sufferers in cases The Great Plague of London, or back to the past, story Black death killing around 50 million Europeans in 1346-1353, even though it is estimated that Europe's population is 80 million. Spooky, huh? This is the importance to immediately see a doctor when you are bitten by a mouse.

READ ALSO: