Septicemic plague
Encyclopedia
Septicemic plague is a deadly blood infection, one of the three main forms of plague. It is caused by Yersinia pestis
, a gram-negative
bacterium.
Like other forms of gram-negative sepsis
, septicemic plague can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation
, and is, without treatment, almost always fatal (the mortality rate in the medieval times was 99-100 percent). Septicemic plague is the rarest of the three plagues that struck Europe in 1348, the other forms are bubonic and pneumonic plague (see the section on septicemic plague in medieval times). This disease is contracted usually through the bite of an infected rodent or insect, but can also be contracted through an opening in the skin or by cough from another infected human. The septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria multiply in the blood, causing bacteremia and severe sepsis. In septicemic plague, bacterial endotoxins cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), causing tiny clots throughout the body and possibly ischaemic necrosis (tissue death due to lack of circulation/perfusion to that tissue) from the clots. DIC results in depletion of the body's clotting resources, so that it can no longer control bleeding. Consequently, there is bleeding into the skin and other organs, which can cause red and/or black patchy rash and hemoptysis/haemoptysis (coughing up or vomiting of blood). There are bumps on the skin that look somewhat like insect bites; these are usually red, and sometimes white in the center. Untreated, septicemic plague is usually fatal. Early treatment with antibiotics reduces the mortality rate to between 4 and 15 percent. People that contract this disease must receive treatment in at most 24 hours or death is almost certainly inevitable. In some cases, people may even die on the same day they contract it.
Note: Septicemic plague may cause death before any symptoms occur
and the pneumonic plague
). Like the others, the septicemic plague spread from the East through trade routes on the Black Sea and down to the Mediterranean Sea. Thus major port cities such as Venice and Florence were hit the hardest. The three plagues that are part of the Black Death
were a major factor in the Peasant's Revolt of 1381.
HowStuffWorks - "Septicemic Plague"
Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis is a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium. It is a facultative anaerobe that can infect humans and other animals....
, a gram-negative
Gram-negative
Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color...
bacterium.
Like other forms of gram-negative sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
, septicemic plague can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Disseminated intravascular coagulation , also known as disseminated intravascular coagulopathy or consumptive coagulopathy, is a pathological activation of coagulation mechanisms that happens in response to a variety of diseases. DIC leads to the formation of small blood clots inside the blood...
, and is, without treatment, almost always fatal (the mortality rate in the medieval times was 99-100 percent). Septicemic plague is the rarest of the three plagues that struck Europe in 1348, the other forms are bubonic and pneumonic plague (see the section on septicemic plague in medieval times). This disease is contracted usually through the bite of an infected rodent or insect, but can also be contracted through an opening in the skin or by cough from another infected human. The septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria multiply in the blood, causing bacteremia and severe sepsis. In septicemic plague, bacterial endotoxins cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), causing tiny clots throughout the body and possibly ischaemic necrosis (tissue death due to lack of circulation/perfusion to that tissue) from the clots. DIC results in depletion of the body's clotting resources, so that it can no longer control bleeding. Consequently, there is bleeding into the skin and other organs, which can cause red and/or black patchy rash and hemoptysis/haemoptysis (coughing up or vomiting of blood). There are bumps on the skin that look somewhat like insect bites; these are usually red, and sometimes white in the center. Untreated, septicemic plague is usually fatal. Early treatment with antibiotics reduces the mortality rate to between 4 and 15 percent. People that contract this disease must receive treatment in at most 24 hours or death is almost certainly inevitable. In some cases, people may even die on the same day they contract it.
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain
- Bleeding due to blood clotting problems
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea
- Organ failure
- Vomiting
Note: Septicemic plague may cause death before any symptoms occur
Septicemic plague in Medieval times
The septicemic plague was the least common of the three plagues that occurred from 1348 to 1350 (the other two being the bubonic plagueBubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
and the pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague, a severe type of lung infection, is one of three main forms of plague, all of which are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is more virulent and rare than bubonic plague...
). Like the others, the septicemic plague spread from the East through trade routes on the Black Sea and down to the Mediterranean Sea. Thus major port cities such as Venice and Florence were hit the hardest. The three plagues that are part of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
were a major factor in the Peasant's Revolt of 1381.
See also
- Septicemia
- MeningococcemiaMeningococcemiaMeningococcal disease describes infections caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis . It carries a high mortality rate if untreated. While best known as a cause of meningitis, widespread blood infection is more damaging and dangerous...
- Bubonic PlagueBubonic plaguePlague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
- Pneumonic PlaguePneumonic plaguePneumonic plague, a severe type of lung infection, is one of three main forms of plague, all of which are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is more virulent and rare than bubonic plague...
- Black deathBlack DeathThe Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
External Links
Google Health - PlagueHowStuffWorks - "Septicemic Plague"