Bubonic plague is an In medicine, infectious disease or communicable disease is disease caused by a biological agent (e. ...infectious disease that is believed to have caused several An epidemic is generally a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. ...epidemics or This article is about outbreaks of disease. ...pandemics throughout history. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague which is characterized by swollen, tender inflamed Lymph nodes are components of the lymphatic system. ...lymph glands (called buboes); other forms are Septicemic plague which occurs when plague Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus_Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ...bacteria multiply in the Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells ( red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ...blood and Pneumonic plague which occurs when the The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ...lungs are infected.

Infection/transportation

It is primarily a disease of Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ...rodents, particularly Species see text Marmots are members of the genus Marmota, in the rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels). ...marmots (in which the most virulent strains of plague are primarily found), but also Binomial name Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Rat (Rattus rattus, also known as the Ship Rat, Roof Rat or House Rat) is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus and the subfamily murinae (Old World rodents). ...black rats, Species Cynomys gunnisoni Cynomys leucurus Cynomys ludovicianus Cynomys mexicanus Cynomys parvidens Prairie dogs are small stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches native to both North and Central America. ...prairie dogs, This article is about the animal. ...chipmunks, Genera Several, see text Squirrel is the common name for rodents of the family Sciuridae. ...squirrels and other similar large rodents. Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ...Human infection most often occurs when a person is A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal. ...bitten by a For the musician, a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, see Michael Balzary. ...flea that has previously fed on an infected rodent.

In 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1896, bacteriologist Alexandre Emile John Yersin (b. ...Alexandre Yersin isolated the responsible bacterium and determined the common mode of transmission. The disease is caused by the Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus_Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ...bacterium Yersinia pestis under fluorescent staining, 2000x. ...Yersinia pestis and is usually transmitted by the bite of For the musician, a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, see Michael Balzary. ...fleas from an infected host, often a Binomial name Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Rat (Rattus rattus, also known as the Ship Rat, Roof Rat or House Rat) is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus and the subfamily murinae (Old World rodents). ...black rat. The bacteria are transferred from the Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells ( red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ...blood of infected rats to the rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopsis). The bacillus multiplies in the stomach of the flea, blocking it. When the flea next bites a Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary...mammal, the consumed blood is regurgitated along with the bacillus into the bloodstream of the bitten animal. Any serious outbreak of plague is started by other disease outbreaks in the rodent population. During these outbreaks, infected fleas that have lost their normal hosts seek other sources of blood.

Symptoms and treatment

The disease becomes evident 2–7 days after infection. Initial symptoms are chills, fever, headaches, and the formation of Bubo may refer to: A bubo is a rounded swelling on the skin of a person afflicted by the bubonic plague. ...buboes. The buboes are formed by the infection of the Lymph nodes are components of the lymphatic system. ...lymph nodes, which swell and become prominent. If unchecked, the bacteria infects the bloodstream (septicemic plague), which can progress to the lungs (pneumonic plague).

In Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις) is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. ...septicemic plague there is bleeding into the skin and other organs, which creates black patches on the skin, hence the name This article concerns the world wide pandemic starting in the mid- 14th century, with a focus on material available from European records and accounts. ...Black Death. Untreated septicemic plague is universally fatal, but early treatment with antibiotics is effective (usually Streptomycin was the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis. ...streptomycin or Gentamicin is a aminoglycoside antibiotic, and can treat many different types of bacterial infections, particularly Gram-negative infection. ...gentamicin), reducing the mortality rate to around 15% (USA 1980s). People who die from this form of plague often die on the same day that symptoms first appear.

With Pneumonia (the ancient Greek word for lungs) is defined as an infection involving the alveoli of the lungs. ...pneumonic plague infecting The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ...lungs came the possibility of person-to-person transmission through respiratory droplets. The incubation period for pneumonic plague is usually between two to four days, but can be as little as a few hours. The initial symptoms of headache, weakness, and coughing with Hemoptysis is the expectoration of blood or of blood-stained sputum from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs (e. ...hemoptysis are indistinguishable from other respiratory illnesses. Without diagnosis and treatment the infection can be fatal in one to six days; mortality in untreated cases may be as high as 95%. The disease can be effectively treated with An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ...antibiotics.

Historical epidemics

The first Western literary account of a possible outbreak of plague is found in the book of Samuel V of the 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum Hebrew Bible refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian canons. ...Hebrew Bible. In this account, the The historic Philistines (see note Philistines below) were a people that inhabited the southern coast of Canaan around the time of the arrival of the Israelites, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts. ...Philistines of Ashdod (Hebrew אשדוד; Arabic إسدود Isdūd) is a port city in Israel located halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza, in the Greeks called it Azotos (in Latin, Azotus) after Alexanders conquest. ...Ashdod were struck with a plague for the crime of stealing the A late 19th-century artists conception of the Ark of the Covenant, employing a Renaissance cassone for the Ark and cherubim as latter-day Christian angels The Ark of the Covenant (in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container built at the command...Ark of the Covenant from the Children of Israel. These events have been dated to approximately the second half of the eleventh century B.C. The word " Hemorrhoids (also haemorrhoids or piles) are varicosities or swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus. ...hemorrhoids" is used in The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...English Translation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language—the source text—and the production of a new, equivalent text in another language—the target text, also called the translation. ...translations to describe the sores which came upon the Philistines. The The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ...Hebrew, however, can be interpreted as "swelling in the secret parts". The account indicates that the Philistine city and its political territory was struck with both a "ravaging of mice" and a plague, bringing death to a large segment of the population.

In the second year of the Map of the Greek world at the start of the Peloponnesian War Temple of Apollo at Corinth The Peloponnesian War was begun in 431 BC between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League which included Sparta and Corinth. ...Peloponnesian War (430 B.C.), Thucydides (between 460 and 455 BC - 395 BC) was an ancient Greek historian, and the author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens. ...Thucydides described the coming of an epidemic disease which began in This article needs cleanup. ...Ethiopia, passed through The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Mişr or Maşr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in northeastern Africa. ...Egypt and This article is about Libya, the country in North Africa. ...Libya, and then came to the Greek world. The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ...Athens was decimated by this plague, losing a possible third of the populace, including For the Shakespeare play, see Pericles, Prince of Tyre Pericles (c. ...Pericles (Speilvogal, J, 1999, pp. 56). This, in spite the loss in population, had no consequent effect on the progress and outcome of the war. This epidemic has long been considered an outbreak of bubonic plague. However, from Thucydides' description, some modern scholars dispute the assignment of plague, feeling that Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ...smallpox or Measles, also known as rubeola, is a common disease caused by a virus of the genus Morbillivirus. ...measles may be better candidates.

In the first century AD, Rufus of Ephesus, a Greek anatomist, refers to an outbreak of plague in This article is about Libya, the country in North Africa. ...Libya, The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Mişr or Maşr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in northeastern Africa. ...Egypt, and The Syrian Arab Republic is a country in the Middle East, bordering (from south to north) on Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. ...Syria. He records that Alexandrian doctors named Dioscorides and Posidonius described symptoms which included acute fever, pain, agitation and delirium. Buboes, large, hard and non-suppurating, developed behind the knees, around the elbows and "in the usual places." The death toll of those infected was very high. Rufus also wrote that similar buboes were reported by a Dionysius Curtus, who may have practiced medicine in Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria (in Arabic, الإسكندرية — al-Iskandariyah) is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that countrys second largest city, and the capital of the Al Iskandariyah governate. ...Alexandria in the third century B.C. If this is correct, the eastern The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...Mediterranean world may have been familiar with bubonic plague at that early date. (ref. Simpson, W.J., Patrick, A.)

The last significant European outbreak occurred in The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ...Russia in A.D. 1877–1889 in rural areas near the The Ural Mountains, (Russian: Ура́льские го́ры = Ура́л) also known simply as the Urals, are a mountain range that run roughly north and south through western Russia. ...Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked sea between Asia and Europe ( European Russia). ...Caspian Sea. This outbreak is sometimes seen as an extension of the A major plague pandemic in historic times, called the Third Pandemic, began in China in 1855, spreading the bubonic plague to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killing more than 12 million people in India and China alone. ...Third Pandemic (see below). Efforts in hygiene and patient isolation reduced the spread of the disease, with approximately 420 deaths in the region. Significantly, the region of Vetlianka in this area is near a population of the "bobak", a type of small Species see text Marmots are members of the genus Marmota, in the rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels). ...marmot considered a very dangerous plague reservoir.

Historical pandemics

Plague of Justinian

For more complete information, see The Plague of Justinian is the first known pandemic on record, and it also marks the first recorded case of bubonic plague. ...Plague of Justinian.

See also In the years 535 CE and 536 CE, several remarkable aberrations in world climate took place. ...Climate changes of 535-536.

The Plague of Justinian is the first known This article is about outbreaks of disease. ...pandemic on record, and it also marks the first firmly recorded pattern of bubonic plague in A.D. 541–542. This outbreak may have originated in Ethiopia or Egypt. The huge city of Map of Constantinople. ...Constantinople imported massive amounts of grain to feed its citizens, mostly from Egypt. The grain ships may have been the original source of contagion for the city, with massive public granaries nurturing the rat and flea population. At its peak, the plague was killing 5,000 people in Map of Constantinople. ...Constantinople every day and ultimately killed perhaps 40 percent of the city's inhabitants. It went on to destroy up to a quarter of the human population of the eastern Mediterranean.

A second major plague wave in A.D. 588 spread through the Mediterranean into what is now France. A maximum figure of 25 million dead is considered a fairly reasonable estimate.

Black Death

For more complete information, see This article concerns the world wide pandemic starting in the mid- 14th century, with a focus on material available from European records and accounts. ...Black Death.

Doktor Schnabel von Rom (Doctor Beak from Rome) engraving, Rome 1656 Credit(s): Paul Fürst (after J Columbina) Source: Imagery From the History of Medicine The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with...

Doktor Schnabel von Rom (Doctor Beak from Rome) engraving, Rome 1656 Credit(s): Paul Fürst (after J Columbina) Source: Imagery From the History of Medicine The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with...

"Doktor Schnabel von Rom" (English: "Doctor Beak from Rome") engraving by Paul Fürst (after J Columbina). The beak is a primitive A gas mask is a mask worn on the face to protect the body from airborne pollutants and toxins. ...gas mask, stuffed with substances thought to ward off the plague.

During the mid- Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1250s 1260s 1270s 1280s 1290s - 1300s - 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s Years: 1300 1301 1302 1303 1304 1305 1306 1307 1308 1309 Events and Trends Categories: 1300s ...1300s, the Black Death, a massive and deadly epidemic swept through Eurasia, killing one-third of the population by some estimates, and subsequently changing the course of both Asian and European history. The 200 million people who died was the largest death toll from any known epidemic of any disease. Many scientists and historians believe that this outbreak was an incidence of bubonic plague. A strong presence of the more contagious pneumonic and septicemic varieties increased the pace of infection and led to the spread of the disease deep into the inland areas of the continents.

Plague continued to strike parts of World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...Europe throughout the Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1350s 1360s 1370s 1380s 1390s - 1400s - 1410s 1420s 1430s 1440s 1450s Years: 1400 1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 1408 1409 Events and Trends Categories: 1400s ...1400s, Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century Decades: 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s - 1500s - 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s 1550s Years: 1500 1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 Events and Trends Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa External links 1500-1524 Events 1500-1509 Events Categories...1500s and Centuries: 16th century - 17th century - 18th century Decades: 1550s 1560s 1570s 1580s 1590s - 1600s - 1610s 1620s 1630s 1640s 1650s Years: 1600 1601 1602 1603 1604 1605 1606 1607 1608 1609 Events and Trends November 5, 1605 - The Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British Parliament. ...1600s with varying degrees of intensity and fatality. Researchers still do not agree on why large outbreaks of the infection have never returned to Europe. However, changes in hygiene habits and strong efforts toward public health and sanitation probably had a significant impact on the survival of the disease.

Third Pandemic

For more complete information see A major plague pandemic in historic times, called the Third Pandemic, began in China in 1855, spreading the bubonic plague to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killing more than 12 million people in India and China alone. ...Third Pandemic.

The A major plague pandemic in historic times, called the Third Pandemic, began in China in 1855, spreading the bubonic plague to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killing more than 12 million people in India and China alone. ...Third Pandemic began in The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ...China in 1855, spreading the bubonic plague to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killing more than 12 million people in The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ...India and China alone. Casualty patterns indicate that waves of this pandemic may have been from two different sources. The first was primarily bubonic and was carried around the world through ocean going trade, through transporting infected persons, rats and cargos harboring fleas. The second, more virulent strain, was primarily pneumonic in character with a strong person to person contagion. This strain was largely confined to Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ...Manchuria and For the region of the same name, see Mongolia (region) Mongolia (Khalkha Mongolian: Монгол Улс) is a landlocked nation in central Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and the Peoples Republic of China to the south. ...Mongolia. Researchers during the "Third Pandemic" identified plague vectors and the plague bacillus, leading in time to modern treatment methods.

Plague as a biological weapon

Plague has a long history as a Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease_causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. ...biological weapon. Historical accounts from The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...medieval Europe detail the use of infected animal carcasses, by Honorary guard of Mongolia. ...Mongols, Areas settled by Turkic peoples in the late 19th and early 20th century The Turkic people are any of various peoples whose members speak languages in the Turkic family of languages. ...Turks and other groups, to infect enemy water supplies. Plague victims were also reported to have been tossed by Replica catapult at Château des Baux, France Catapults are siege engines using an arm to hurl a projectile a great distance. ...catapult into cities under siege.

During Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. ...World War II, the Japans honor guard often marches to greet the arrival of foreign dignitaries. ...Japanese Army developed weaponized plague based on the breeding and release of large numbers of fleas. During the Japanese occupation of Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ...Manchuria, civilians and prisoners of war were deliberately infected with the plague bacillus. These subjects, called "logs", were then studied by Dissection is usually the process of disassembling something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the function and relationships of its components. ...dissection, some while still living and conscious. After World War II, both the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...United States and the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик (СССР)  listen?; tr. ...Soviet Union developed means of weaponizing pneumonic plague. Experiments included various delivery methods, vacuum drying, sizing the bacillus, developing strains resistant to antibiotics, combining the bacillus with other diseases, such as The clinical case definition of diphtheria is: An upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane of the tonsil(s), pharynx, and/or nose. ...diptheria, and genetic engineering. Scientists who worked in USSR bio-weapons programs have stated that the Soviet effort was formidable and that large stocks of weaponized plague bacillus were produced. Information on many of the Soviet projects is largely unavailable. Aerosolized pneumonic plague remains the most significant threat.[1] (http://www.vnh.org/BIOCASU/9.html)[2] (http://www.biohazardnews.net/agent_plague.shtml)

World distribution of plague, 1998, from CDC File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

World distribution of plague, 1998, from CDC File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Worldwide distribution of plague infected animals 1998

Contemporary cases

The disease still exists in wild animal populations from the This article is about the terrestrial mountain range. ...Caucasus Mountains east across southern and central The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ...Russia, to Kazakhstan ( Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, IPA /qɑzɑqˈstɑn/; Russian: Казахстан, Kazakhstán, IPA /kɐzəxˈstɐn/), also spelled Kazakstan, is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Asia, and a former republic of the now extinct USSR. A portion of its territory west of the Ural River is located in eastern-most Europe. ...Kazakhstan, For the region of the same name, see Mongolia (region) Mongolia (Khalkha Mongolian: Монгол Улс) is a landlocked nation in central Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and the Peoples Republic of China to the south. ...Mongolia and parts of The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ...China; in A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ...Southwest and Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...Southeast Asia, Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ...Southern and Categories: Africa geography stubs | Eastern Africa ...East Africa (including the island of This article is about the country; for the movie see Madagascar (movie) Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. ...Madagascar); and in World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ...North America from the The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ...Pacific Coast eastward to the western The Great Plains states. ...Great Plains, and from Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell ( BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th)  - Land 925,186 km²  - Water 19,549 km² (2. ...British Columbia south to The United Mexican States or Mexico ( Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México; regarding the use of the variant spelling Méjico, see section The name below) is a country located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States of America, to the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, to...Mexico; and in South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...South America in two areas—the Note that the geology in this article currently reflects views from the first decade of the 20th century. ...Andes mountains and The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America, and fifth largest in the world. ...Brazil. There is no plague-infected animal population in World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...Europe or Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. ...Australia.

Globally, the For other meanings of the acronym WHO, see WHO (disambiguation) WHO flag Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health. ...World Health Organization reports 1,000 to 3,000 human cases of plague every year.

References

• de Carvalho, Raimundo Wilson; Serra-Freire, Nicolau Maués; Linardi, Pedro Marcos; de Almeida, Adilson Benedito; and da Costa, Jeronimo Nunes (2001). Small Rodents Fleas from the Bubonic Plague Focus Located in the Serra dos Órgãos Mountain Range, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (http://memorias.ioc.fiocruz.br/965/4152.html). Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 96(5), 603–609. PMID 11500756. this manuscript reports a census of potential plague vectors (rodents and fleas) in a Brazilian focus region (i.e. region associated with cases of disease); free PDF download Retrieved 2005-03-02
• Gregg, Charles T. Plague!: The shocking story of a dread disease in America today. New York, NY: Scribner, 1978, ISBN 0684153726.
• Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2005. ISBN 0060006927.
• McNeill, William H. Plagues and People. New York: Anchor Books, 1976. ISBN 0385121229.
• Orent, Wendy. Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World's Most Dangerous Disease. New York: Free Press, 2004. ISBN 0743236858.
• Patrick, Adam. "Disease in Antiquity: Ancient Greece and Rome," in Diseases in Antiquity, editors: Don Brothwell and A. T. Sandison. Springfield, Illinois; Charles C. Thomas, 1967.
• Simpson, W. J. A Treatise on Plague. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1905.
• Speilvogal, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History Vol. 1: to 1715. Belmont, Calif.: West/Wadsworth, 1999, Ch. 3, p. 56, paragraph 2. ISBN 0534560628.

In literature

• The Decameron is a collection of novellas that was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1353. ...The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (June 16, 1313 - December 21, 1375) was a Florentine author and poet, the greatest of Petrarchs disciples, an important Renaissance humanist in his own right and author of a number of notable works including On Famous Women, the Decameron and his poems in the vernacular. ...Giovanni Boccaccio (1350). Takes place in Florence in Events April 7 - Charles University is founded in Prague. ...1348, during the outbreak of the " This article concerns the world wide pandemic starting in the mid- 14th century, with a focus on material available from European records and accounts. ...Black Death", widely believed to be Bubonic Plague.
• This article is about the Albert Camus novel. ...The Plague by Albert Camus Albert Camus ( November 7, 1913 – January 4, 1960) was a French author and philosopher and one of the principal luminaries (with Jean-Paul Sartre) of existentialism. ...Albert Camus (1947). An Existentialism is a philosophical movement emphasizing individualism, individual freedom, and subjectivity. ...existentialist novel centered around an outbreak of the plague.
• A Journal of the Plague Year is a novel by Daniel Defoe. ...A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe ( 1660 – April 24, 1731) was an English writer and journalist, who first gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ...Daniel Defoe (1722). A fictional first hand account of the London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London outbreak of Events March 4 - Start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War March 6 - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society begins publication March 16 - Bucharest allows Jews to settle in the city in exchange of annual tax of 16 guilders June 3 - The Duke of York defeats the Dutch Fleet off the...1665.
• Doomsday Book is a novel by Connie Willis. ...Doomsday Book by Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis (born December 31, 1945) is an American science fiction writer. ...Connie Willis (1992). A The Hugo Award is given every year for the best science fiction or fantasy stories of the previous year, and for related areas in fandom, art and dramatic presentation. ...Hugo award and The Nebula is an award given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), for the best science fiction stories published in the United States during the two previous years. ...Nebula award-winning historical Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...science fiction novel, in which a time-traveler inadvertently ends up in the plague-ridden Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831...England of Events April 7 - Charles University is founded in Prague. ...1348.

See also

• This article concerns the world wide pandemic starting in the mid- 14th century, with a focus on material available from European records and accounts. ...Black Death
• An epidemic is generally a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. ...Epidemics
• Medieval demography is demography in the Middle Ages. ...Medieval demography
• Plague redirects here. ...Plague
• The Plague of Justinian is the first known pandemic on record, and it also marks the first recorded case of bubonic plague. ...Plague of Justinian
• A major plague pandemic in historic times, called the Third Pandemic, began in China in 1855, spreading the bubonic plague to all inhabited continents, and ultimately killing more than 12 million people in India and China alone. ...Third Pandemic

External links

• For other meanings of the acronym WHO, see WHO (disambiguation) WHO flag Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health. ...World Health Organization
  • Health topic (http://www.who.int/topics/plague/en/)
  • Communicable Disease Surveillance & Response (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/plague/en/) _ Impact of plague & Information resources
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ...Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • CDC Plague (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/index.htm) map world distribution, publications, information on bioterrorism preparedness and response regarding plague
  • Infectious Disease Information (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub-plague.htm) more links including travelers' health
• Symptoms, causes, pictures of bubonic plague (http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic428.htm)