A lab technician conducts a diagnostic test to detect traces of the bubonic plague bacteria under strict safety protocols (Freepik)
Health authorities in California have confirmed another case of the bubonic plague, one of the most dreaded diseases that decimated the population in the Middle Ages.
According to officials, the South Lake Tahoe resident contracted the illness while being bitten by an infected flea on a camping trip. The person is currently under treatment at home, while local health departments are monitoring the area for other potential risks.
Just weeks before, a separate case of pneumonic plague had taken a life in Arizona, generating concern over the resurfacing of diseases that were assumed to belong within the history's pages.
The bubonic plague, historically called the Black Death, is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The CDC records an average of seven plague cases each year in the U.S.A., mostly in the western states. Thankfully, deaths have become rare; only 15 were reported for the whole country in the last 25 years.
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The disease can manifest in three forms bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. In general, the symptoms include sudden fever, chills, headache, weakness and swollen lymph nodes. Unless treated, it can enter the bloodstream or lungs, creating severe conditions. Standard management usually entails antibiotics for up to two weeks, an approach that has been proven to be highly successful with prompt intervention.
The plague has entered the lexicon of human memory because of its devastation in the 14th century when it killed an estimated 75-200 million people across Europe and Asia.
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At that time, it had no treatment known to humankind and snuffed roughly half of Europe’s population out of existence. Nowadays, the availability of antibiotics has transformed this disease from one that kills in massive numbers into one that, while serious, can be managed.
YouTuber Zack D. has a recent simulation that provides insight into what occurs in the body during the bubonic plague. The video illustrates how bacteria enter the lymph nodes from a flea bite causing painful swelling called buboes. The extreme cases would cause the bacteria to enter the bloodstream, leading to bleeding disorders and dark patches under the skin a symptom giving the disease its more sinister names, Black Death.
Although the disease cannot present a widespread outbreak, health officials encourage those living in high-risk areas to exercise caution, purposely avoiding contact with rodents or applying insect repellant while camping. The case in California is a reminder that even in modern times, ancient diseases can reappear, calling for vigilance and a rapid medical response.
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