Bubonic Plague
Shealyn Kawlewski
Medical Advances
During the plague epidemic in 1347, the doctors who treated the plague were not professional doctors. They would wear long wax coats, probably to keep the fleas from sticking to them, and would wear beak shaped masks. The beak of the mask would be stuffed with herbs and spices to "purify" the air, back when they thought that the plague was an aerial disease.
A new study done by the Centers for Disease Control showed that the plague has been surfacing in New Mexico's two biggest cities over the past couple of years.
Immediate Risks
If treatment is not administered within the first 24 hours of diagnosis, the patient may die. Most bubonic plague treatment is started even before the lab results come back. The most common reason for getting the bubonic plague is coming in contact with an infected dead animal, whether through skinning it or being near the animal's home.
Media Influences
Movie: "Black Death" is dramatized movie with many well-known actors and relays the facts in a theatrical way. It's set during the first plague outbreak in England in the 1300s, where a monk is given the task to learn the truth about the villagers complaints about the plague. Follow along with Eddie Redmayne, David Warner, and Sean Bean in this mystery/adventure film.
Documentary: "The Plague" is a two-part documentary put on by the History Channel and explains the 14th century plague in depth. It lays down accurate facts including the year the plague broke out (1347), how many it killed (almost half of the population of England), and where it began (the Mongol empire).
Long Term Effects
Some U.S. citizens feel that the bubonic plague could someday be used as a bioterrorism agent against the U.S., so research has picked up in recent years to find a fast-acting medicine for the bubonic plague.
Interpersonal Communication
- Relay your concern to the front desk of the emergency room (hopefully they'll get you in to see a doctor as soon a possible, which most likely will not be soon because you always wait like two hours in the waiting room)
- Then tell your doctor the symptoms you've been experiencing (With the bubonic plague the symptoms may be: flu-like, swollen lymph nodes, fever, etc.)
The doctor will probably send you to a specialist in infectious diseases who could take a closer look at your symptoms. There aren't too many other people you could go to, as doctors and specialists in diseases are the only people certified to diagnose and treat the bubonic plague.
Local source
Hennepin County Medical Center Pediatrics
Jason V Baker MDInfectious Disease Specialist, Internal
701 Park Ave. Ste. P7, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-873-2750
Sources
Yardley, Jonathan. "Fear, Prejudice and Denial were the Worst Enemies in the Battle Against Bubonic Plague on America's Shores." The Washington Post: 0. Mar 23 2003. ProQuest Newsstand; The Washington Post. Web. 3
Oct. 2012
Book: Brooks, Geraldine. "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague." PaperBackSwap.com. PaperBack Swap, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. http://www.paperbackswap.com/Year-Wonders-Novel-Geraldine-Brooks/book/067091021X/
Shealyn
10-22-12