Black Plague

Danielle & Sarah

• Plague is a disease that is transmitted from infected animals, usually by fleas, to humans

• Plague then may be transmitted from humans to others

• Death occurs in about 50%-90% of all people who develop infection and are not treated

• Even with treatment, about 15% of infected people will still die

• Skin areas and buboes in untreated people may become dark or a black color as the disease progresses

• This type of plague is termed bubonic plague (Black Plague)

What is it??

• Plague or Black Death has been mentioned in most regions of the world for centuries

• Rapidly travel through a population and kill so many people that historians say there weren’t enough people left alive to bury the dead

• In medieval times, bodies of plague victims were thrown over city walls to infect many the people and weaken the city’s defense

• In the 1300s, the Black Death killed about 1/3 of Europe's population

• n 1898, Dr. Simond discovered the cause of the disease was a flea.

• Plague or its cause, has been used by humans as a weapon against other humans for centuries, including now

History

• Infected people first broke out with red ring shaped marks with dark center spots on their arms and necks

• People locked their doors trying to protect themselves

• They carried flowers to ward off the smell of the dead

• Sky filled with ashes were people burned houses filled with the dead

• Villages burned down to contain and kill the disease

• Nothing worked

Medieval Reactions

• Medieval Knowledge of health was limited

• They believed that the plague was a punishment from God for being bad

• People from this time were very gullible, They would buy virtually anything if they thought it would heal them

• Doctors would make large profit from lying to their patients

In Medieval Times

• Middle Ages PhysiciansOnly the very wealthy would receive the ministrations of a Middle Ages Physician who would have received an education at one of the Universities

• Middle Ages SurgeonsInferior to Physicians these had a similar reputation to the barbers with whom they associated and belonged to the Company of Barber Surgeons

• Middle Ages BarbersThe Barbers were inferior to the Surgeons, although they also belonged to the Company of Barber Surgeons. They were only allowed to pull teeth or let blood

Types of Doctors

• Middle Ages ApothocaryThe usual route that most people took was to visit the apothecary, or dispenser of drugs. The Apothocaries belonged to the Grocer's Guild and sold sweets, cosmetics and perfumes as well as drugs

• Middle Ages 'Wise Woman'The local 'wise woman' was often the first person contacted by poor people who used various herbs to produce home made medicines and potions

Doctors Continued

• A Bacterium - Yersinia Pestis - that is gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium genetically related to Escherichia Coli

• Plague comes from rodents, where infected fleas on rodents transfer the bacteria to other rodents

• Plague usually starts with a flea bite

How it’s caused

• Symptoms can be progressive: • In about three to seven days, lymph nodes are swollen,

tender, and are termed buboes • Fever• Chills• Weakness

• Bleeding under the skin• Abdominal pain• Septic shock

• Low blood pressure• Shortness of breath

• Cough (sometimes bloody)• Chest pain• Headaches

Symptoms

• Then: No treatment or cure, just have the victims ingest alcohol for pain

• Now: plague is treated with antibiotics such as; Streptomycin, Gentamicin (Garamycin), Chloramphenicol, Tetracyclines (Sumycin), Fluoroquinolones

Treatment

• Watch for plague activity in rodent populations where plague is known to occur

• Report any observations of sick or dead animals to the local health department or law-enforcement officials

• Eliminate sources of food and nesting places for rodents around homes, work places, and recreation areas

• If you anticipate being exposed to rodent fleas, apply insect repellents to clothing and skin

• Wear gloves when handling potentially infected animals.• If you live in areas where rodent plague occurs, treat

pet dogs and cats for flea control regularly and not allow these animals to roam freely.

• Safely clean up rodent-infested areas• Air out infested spaces before cleanup• Avoid sweeping, vacuuming, or stirring dust until the

area is thoroughly wet with disinfectant

Prevention Now

Pictures