What is Plague?
Plague is a bacterial disease caused by the entero bacterium, Yersinia pestis. This is naturally found in wild rodents, ground squirrels and prairie dogs. Rodents, as well as cats and dogs, can get infected with the bacteria. This is passed on to human beings through their excreta or by being bitten by fleas that have already bitten the infested animals. Rodents infected with the bacteria also die in large numbers. During the epidemic, the incidence of human beings contracting the disease is quite high, as the fleas begin to look out for alternate sources of obtaining blood.
The infected and swollen lymph nodes take on a blackish appearance if left untreated. In the early days of the outbreak of plague, people developed black sores on different parts of their body. The epidemic that broke out resulted in the death of many people. At certain stages of the disease, it was reported that the number of people dead exceeded the number of people alive in that area.
Alternative Name: Black Fever