Plague is a serious infectious disease. Symptoms, treatment, consequences

Plague is a serious illness of infectious nature, which occurs with an increase in body temperature, damage to the lungs and lymph nodes. Often against the backdrop of this ailment, an inflammatory process develops in all tissues of the body. The disease is characterized by a high mortality threshold.

Historical reference

In the history of modern mankind there was no such ruthless disease as the plague. Until today, information has reached that in ancient times the disease took the lives of a large number of people. Epidemics usually began after direct contact with infected animals. Often the spread of the disease turned into a pandemic. Three such cases are known.

The first was called Justinian plague. This case of a pandemic was recorded on the territory of Egypt (527-565 gg.). The second was called the Great. The plague in Europe raged for five years, taking with it the lives of about 60 million people. The third pandemic happened in Hong Kong in 1895. Later, it moved to the territory of India, where more than 10 million people died.

One of the largest epidemics was in France, where at that time lived a famous psychic Nostradamus. He tried to fight the "black death" with phytotherapy. Florentine iris, sawdust of cypress, clove, aloe and fragrant aura he mixed with rose petals. From the resulting mixture, the psychic did so-called pink pills. Unfortunately, the plague in Europe consumed his wife and children.

Many cities where death reigned were subjected to complete burning. Doctors, trying to help the sick, dressed in anti-plague armor (leather long cloak, a mask with a long nose). In the mask, doctors placed various herbal preparations. The mouth cavity was rubbed with garlic, and rags were stuffed into the ears.

Why does the plague develop?

The virus or bacterium is the causative agent of the disease? This disease is caused by a microorganism called Yersonina pestis. This bacterium remains viable for a long period of time. It shows resistance to the heating process. To factors of the external environment (oxygen, sun rays, acidity change), the plague bacterium is quite sensitive.

The source of the disease is wild rodents, in urban environments it is usually rats. In rare cases, the carrier of the bacterium is a person.

The plague is transmitted in various ways, the leading place among which belongs to the transmissible. The bacteria are fleas and ticks. They live on animals that transport pathogenic microorganisms with migration. People get infected by rubbing the fleas excrement into the skin. These parasites have a pathological effect for seven weeks.

All people have a natural susceptibility to infection. Pathology can develop against the background of infection in any way. Post-infectious immunity is relative. However, repeated cases of infection usually take place in an uncomplicated form.

What are the signs of plague: the symptoms of ailment

The incubation period of the disease is from 3 to about 6 days, but in a pandemic it can be reduced to a day. The plague begins acutely, accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature, symptoms of intoxication of the body. Patients complain of discomfort in the joints, vomiting with impurities of blood. In the first hours of infection, there are signs of psychomotor agitation. The person becomes overly active, he is pursued by the desire to escape somewhere, then hallucinations and deliriums already arise. It is clear to speak and move the infected can not.

Of the external symptoms can be noted flushing of the face, hemorrhagic rash. The facial expression takes on a characteristic painful appearance. The language gradually increases in size, a white coating appears on it. Also noted the emergence of tachycardia, lowering blood pressure.

Physicians distinguish several forms of this disease: bubonic, skin, septic, pulmonary. Each variant has characteristic features. We will talk about them further in the materials of this article.

Bubonic plague

Bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease. Bubbons are specific changes in the lymph nodes. As a rule, they are of a single character. Initially, tenderness is noted in the lymph nodes. After 1-2 days they increase in size, get a doughy consistency, the temperature rises sharply. The further course of the disease can lead to both an independent resorption of the bubo, and to the formation of an ulcer.

Skin plague

For this form of pathology, the emergence of carbuncles in the area where the pathogen was introduced into the body is characteristic. Disease of the plague is accompanied by the formation of painful pustules on the skin with reddish contents. Around them is the area of infiltration and hyperemia. If the pustule is opened by itself, an ulcer with yellow pus appears in its place. After a while, the bottom is covered with a black scab, which is gradually torn away, leaving behind scars.

Pneumonic plague

Pulmonary plague is the most dangerous form of the disease from an epidemic point of view. The incubation period ranges from a few hours to two days. On the second day after infection, there is a strong cough, there is soreness in the chest, shortness of breath. On the roentgenogram signs of an inflammation of lungs are found out. Cough is usually accompanied by frothy and bloody discharge. When the condition worsens, there are disturbances in the consciousness and functioning of the main systems of the internal organs.

Septic plague

The disease is characterized by rapid development. Septic plague is a rare pathology that is characterized by the appearance of hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes. Gradually, the symptoms of general intoxication increase. From the disintegration of bacterial cells in the blood, the content of toxic substances increases. As a result, the patient's condition deteriorates sharply.

Diagnostic measures

In view of the particular danger of this pathology and high susceptibility to bacteria, excretion of the pathogen is carried out exclusively in the laboratory. Experts make a fence of material from carbuncles, sputum, buboes and ulcers. The excretory can be isolated from the blood.

Serological diagnosis is carried out with the help of the following tests: RNAG, ELISA, RNGA. It is possible to isolate the DNA of the pathogen by means of PCR. Nonspecific methods of diagnosis include blood and urine tests, lung radiography.

What treatment is required?

Patients diagnosed with "plague", the symptoms of which appear for several days, are placed in special boxes. As a rule, this is a single room, equipped with a separate toilet room and necessarily with double doors. Etiotropic therapy is performed by antibiotics in accordance with the clinical form of the disease. The duration of the course of treatment is usually 7-10 days.

When the skin is prescribed, "Co-trimoxazole", with bubonic - "Levomycetin." To treat the pulmonary and septic case, Streptomycin and Doxycycline are used.

Additionally, symptomatic therapy is performed. To reduce the temperature, antipyretic agents are used. To restore blood pressure, prescribe steroid hormones. Sometimes it is necessary to support the work of the lungs and kidneys by artificial substitution of their functions.

Forecast and consequences

Currently, subject to the recommendations of the doctor for treatment, the mortality from plague is rather low (5-10%). Timely medical care and prevention of generalization contribute to recovery without serious health consequences. In rare cases, transient sepsis is diagnosed, which is difficult to treat and often leads to death.