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Authors

Morgan Siegrist

Document Type

Research

Abstract

The general population has heard about Black Death outbreaks and more specifically the pandemic that started in Europe and spread worldwide between the 14th-16th centuries, but what many do not know is that this disease is still a prominent concern in modern times. Each year, 1000-3000 people die due to this disease. Cases have been reported in Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Myanmar, Peru, Viet Nam, and even the USA (Keeling & Gilligan, 2000; Zietz & Dunkelberg, 2004). The bubonic plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, and the disease is considered a zoonosis 132 International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities (Keeling & Gilligan, 2000). The initial symptoms usually include fever, headache, and general illness, which progresses to painful, swollen regional lymph nodes, also referred to as buboes (National Park Service, 2005). The disease manifests quickly (1-6 days) and then spreads rapidly to the blood and then the respiratory system. The disease is highly contagious from person to person and causes primary septicemic plague and primary pneumonic plague.

Publication Date

2009

Journal Title

International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

Volume

6

Issue

1

First Page

132

Last Page

142

Copyright

©2009 International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Included in

Public Health Commons

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