What Is Bubonic Plague And What Are Its Symptoms

A rare case of bubonic plague, which killed tens of millions of people in Europe in the 14th Century, has been reported in Oregon, United States. The person was probably infected by the pet cat, an official said, without revealing the identity of the patient in Deschutes County.

"All close contacts of the resident and their pet have been contacted and provided medication to prevent illness,” Deschutes County health officer Dr Richard Fawcett said in a statement.

The infected individual was “treated in the earlier stages of the disease” and posed “little risk” to the community, the statement added.

Bubonic Plague is exceedingly rare in this day and age, and doctors know how to treat the disease and prevent its spread among the masses.

“The reason why it hasn't been eliminated is because there's an animal reservoir. The bacteria can infect animals, and because we can't treat all animals in the wild, it persists in nature and thus occasionally causes a limited number of human cases,” CNN quoted Dr Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as saying.

The disease killed around 50 million people -- at least a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages -- in one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, known as the Black Death.

What is Bubonic plague?

The infectious disease is caused by a specific bacteria called Yersinia pestis. This bacteria can affect both humans and animals and is primarily spread by fleas.

"People can also become infected from direct contact with infected tissues or fluids while handling an animal that is sick with or that has died from plague... People can become infected from inhaling respiratory droplets after close contact with cats and humans with pneumonic plague," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bubonic plague: Symptoms

1. Sudden high fever and chills

2. Pain in the arms, legs and abdomen.

3. Headache

4. Large and swollen lumps in the lymph nodes (buboes) can develop and leak pus.

5. In severe cases, there may be blackened tissue due to gangrene, often affecting the fingers or toes, or unusual bleeding.