- What disease is caused by Yersinia pestis
- Bacteria life cycle
- How the transmission happens
- How to prevent
Treatment of Yersinia pestis infection should be started as soon as the first symptoms appear, as this bacterium can cause death in less than 24 hours. Thus, the symptoms to be aware of are swollen waters, fever, severe headache and excessive tiredness, which arise in places with an outbreak of the disease or after a flea bite, for example.
Usually, treatment is still done in the hospital, in an isolation unit, with antibiotics directly in the vein and prescribed by an infectious disease doctor. The most effective antibiotics are:
- Streptomycin, Tetracycline, Gentamicin; Fluoroquinolone; Chloramphenicol.
After the symptoms and fever have stabilized, the infected person usually returns home and continues to use the antibiotic for up to 10 days, even if they stop showing symptoms.
See what are the main symptoms of Yersinia pestis infection.
What disease is caused by Yersinia pestis
The bacterium Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague, also popularly known as black plague and can be found in fleas, which are present mainly in infected rodents.
This disease is serious and often fatal if it is not treated immediately, being the main responsible for the death of more than 30% of Europe's population in the 14th century.
Bacteria life cycle
Fleas feed on blood, especially rodents. If the rodents are infected with Yersinia pestis , when the animal is parasitized, the flea also acquires this bacterium. When the rodent dies, the infected flea looks for other bodies to continue feeding on blood. Thus, it can infect other rodents and other animals, such as cats or humans through bites.
Each flea can remain infected for months and thus infect more people and more animals. The first symptoms of Yersinia pestis infection appear between two and six days after infection.
How the transmission happens
The transmission of this bacterium to humans can occur in several ways, such as:
- Infected flea bite; Manipulation of blood, secretion or tissues of infected animals; Bites and scratches from infected cats.
The least common way of transmission is through vomiting, sneezing and coughing, in which the droplets are dispersed in the air and can spread this bacteria among the population, which is why it is important that the treatment be carried out in isolation.
How to prevent
Prevention for this infection can be based on rodent and pest control and the use of repellents to prevent flea bites, as the plague-causing bacteria mainly infect rats, mice and squirrels, which are the main host of fleas. It is also important to wear protective equipment when handling the blood, secretion and tissues of potentially infected animals.
People who travel to endemic places at risk of exposure to the bacteria can take preventive doses of tetracycline.
