Plague is a serious disease of an infectious nature that occurs with fever, damage to the lungs and lymph nodes. Often, against the background of this disease, an inflammatory process develops in all tissues of the body. The disease has a high mortality threshold.
Historical background
In the entire history of modern mankind, there has never been such a ruthless disease as the plague. Information has reached the present day that in ancient times the disease claimed the lives of a large number of people. Epidemics usually started after direct contact with infected animals. Often the spread of the disease turned into a pandemic. History knows three such cases.
The first was called the Plague of Justinian. This case of a pandemic was recorded in Egypt (527-565). The second was called the Great. The plague raged in Europe for five years, taking with it the lives of about 60 million people. The third pandemic occurred in Hong Kong in 1895. Later, she crossed into India, where more than 10 million people died.
One of the biggest epidemicswas in France, where the famous psychic Nostradamus lived at that time. He tried to fight the "black death" with the help of herbal medicine. Florentine iris, cypress sawdust, cloves, aloe and fragrant calamus he mixed with rose petals. From the resulting mixture, the psychic made the so-called pink pills. Unfortunately, the plague in Europe consumed his wife and children.
Many cities where death reigned were completely burned. Doctors, trying to help the sick, dressed in anti-plague armor (a long leather cloak, a mask with a long nose). Doctors put various herbal preparations into the mask. The mouth was rubbed with garlic, and rags were stuck in the ears.
Why does plague develop?
A virus or a bacterium is the causative agent of the disease? This disease is caused by a microorganism called Yersonina pestis. This bacterium remains viable for a long period of time. It exhibits heat resistance. To environmental factors (oxygen, sunlight, changes in acidity), the plague bacterium is quite sensitive.
The source of the disease is wild rodents, in the urban environment it is usually rats. In rare cases, a person serves as a carrier of bacteria.
The plague is transmitted in different ways, the leading place among which belongs to the transmissible. The bacteria are carried by fleas and ticks. They live on animals that transport pathogens with migration. People become infected by rubbing flea excrement into the skin. These parasites remain pathological for sevenweeks.
All people have a natural susceptibility to infection. Pathology can develop against the background of infection in absolutely any way. Post-infection immunity is relative. However, re-infection is usually uncomplicated.
What are the signs of plague: symptoms of the disease
The incubation period for the disease is 3 to about 6 days, but in a pandemic it can be reduced to a day. Plague begins acutely, accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature, symptoms of intoxication of the body. Patients complain of discomfort in the joints, vomiting with blood impurities. In the first hours of infection, signs of psychomotor agitation are observed. A person becomes overly active, he is pursued by the desire to run somewhere, then hallucinations and delusions already appear. The infected person cannot speak and move clearly.
Of the external symptoms, facial flushing, hemorrhagic rash can be noted. The facial expression takes on a characteristic pained look. The tongue gradually increases in size, a white coating appears on it. They also note the occurrence of tachycardia, a decrease in blood pressure.
Doctors distinguish several forms of this disease: bubonic, skin, septic, pulmonary. Each option has its own characteristics. We will talk about them later in the materials of this article.
Bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease. Buboes are understood as specific changes in the lymph nodes. They are,are usually singular. Initially, there is pain in the area of the lymph nodes. After 1-2 days, they increase in size, acquire a pasty consistency, the temperature rises sharply. The further course of the disease can lead to both self-resorption of the bubo and the formation of an ulcer.
Skin Plague
This form of pathology is characterized by the appearance of carbuncles in the area where the pathogen has invaded the body. Plague disease is accompanied by the formation of painful pustules on the skin with reddish contents. Around them is an area of infiltration and hyperemia. If the pustule is opened on its own, an ulcer with yellow pus appears in its place. After some time, the bottom is covered with a black scab, which is gradually rejected, leaving behind scars.
Pneumonia
Pneumonic plague is the most dangerous form of the disease from an epidemic point of view. The incubation period ranges from several hours to two days. On the second day after infection, a strong cough appears, there is pain in the chest, shortness of breath. The x-ray showed signs of pneumonia. Cough is usually accompanied by frothy and bloody discharge. When the condition worsens, disturbances of consciousness and functioning of the main systems of internal organs are observed.
Septicemic plague
The disease is characterized by rapid development. Septicemic plague is a rare pathology that is characterized by the appearance of hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes. Symptoms of general intoxication gradually increase. From the decay of bacterial cells in the blood, the content of toxic substances increases. As a result, the patient's condition worsens dramatically.
Diagnostic measures
Due to the special danger of this pathology and high susceptibility to bacteria, the pathogen is isolated exclusively in laboratory conditions. Specialists take material from carbuncles, sputum, buboes and ulcers. It is allowed to isolate the pathogen from the blood.
Serological diagnosis is carried out using the following tests: RNAG, ELISA, RNGA. It is possible to isolate the DNA of the pathogen by PCR. Non-specific diagnostic methods include blood and urine tests, chest radiography.
What treatment is needed?
Patients diagnosed with plague, whose symptoms appear within a few days, are placed in special boxes. As a rule, this is a single room, equipped with a separate toilet room and always with double doors. Etiotropic therapy is carried out with antibiotics in accordance with the clinical form of the disease. The duration of the course of treatment is usually 7-10 days.
With the skin form, "Co-trimoxazole" is prescribed, with the bubonic form - "Levomycetin". Streptomycin and Doxycycline are used to treat the pulmonary and septic variant of the disease.
Additionally, symptomatic therapy is carried out. Antipyretics are used to reduce fever. Steroid hormones are prescribed to restore blood pressure. Sometimes requiredsupport for the functioning of the lungs and kidneys with devices for artificial replacement of their functions.
Forecast and consequences
Currently, subject to the doctor's recommendations for treatment, the death rate from plague is quite low (5-10%). Timely medical care and prevention of generalization contribute to recovery without serious he alth consequences. In rare cases, fulminant sepsis is diagnosed, which is difficult to treat and often leads to death.
