Bubonic plague

Bubonic plague
The most common form of the plague, named for the characteristic buboes — buboes are enlarged lymph nodes ("swollen glands") — in the groin which are usually very tender and painful. Lymph nodes may be similarly affected elsewhere such as in the armpits and neck. Common but less specific features of the disease include headache, fever, chills, and weakness. The bubonic plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are transmitted from infected rats to the oriental rat flea to people. (The rats are a "reservoir" for the disease. The fleas are the "vectors" that carry the bacteria from the rat reservoir to the human host.) The bubonic plague caused the "black death" (the black plague) characterized by gangrene of the fingers, toes, and nose. See the Plague.

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bubonic plague n plague caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia (Y. pestis syn. Pasteurella pestis) and characterized esp. by the formation of buboes compare PNEUMONIC PLAGUE

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the most common form of plague, transmitted by the bite of infected fleas. It is typically characterized by abrupt onset of fever, chills, weakness, and headache, followed by pain, tenderness, and lymphadenopathy (buboes) of the regional lymph nodes, usually inguinal, femoral, axillary, and cervical nodes. There is a marked hemorrhagic tendency with disseminated intravascular coaglation, necrotic purpura, and extensive symmetrical gangrene. Hematogenous dissemination may establish suppurative foci throughout the body. Particularly severe complications include pneumonia (see pneumonic p.) and septicemia (see septicemic p.).

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Bubonic plague — (Med.) a severe and often fatal disease caused by infection with the bacterium {Yersinia pestis} (formerly {Pasteurella pestis}), transmitted to man by the bite of fleas, themselves usually infected by biting infected rodents. It is characterized …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bubonic plague — ► NOUN ▪ a form of plague transmitted by rat fleas and characterized by the formation of buboes …   English terms dictionary

  • bubonic plague — n. a contagious disease, the most common form of plague, caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) transmitted by fleas from infected rats, and characterized by buboes, fever, prostration, and delirium: see BLACK DEATH …   English World dictionary

  • Bubonic plague — DiseaseDisorder infobox Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = 14226 ICD10 = ICD9 = ICD9|020.0 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = D010930 Bubonic plague is the best known manifestation of the bacterial disease… …   Wikipedia

  • Bubonic Plague —    This plague swept across western and central Europe during the fourteenth century, killing about one third of the 60,000,000 people living in that area.    Needless to say, it destroyed the economy of affected areas. The cost of labor went up …   The writer's dictionary of science fiction, fantasy, horror and mythology

  • bubonic plague — [[t]bjuːbɒ̱nɪk ple͟ɪg, AM buː [/t]] N UNCOUNT Bubonic plague is a serious infectious disease spread by rats. It killed many people during the Middle Ages. Syn: plague …   English dictionary

  • bubonic plague — noun the most common form of the plague in humans; characterized by chills, prostration, delirium and the formation of buboes in the armpits and groin; does not spread from person to person • Syn: ↑pestis bubonica, ↑glandular plague • Hypernyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • bubonic plague — noun Date: 1885 plague caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) and characterized especially by the formation of buboes …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bubonic plague — See plague …   Dictionary of microbiology

  • bubonic plague — bu|bon|ic plague [bju:ˌbɔnık ˈpleıg US bu:ˌba: ] n [U] [Date: 1800 1900; : Medieval Latin; Origin: bubo swelling , from Greek boubon (swelling in) the groin ] a very serious disease spread by rats, that killed a lot of people in the Middle Ages… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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