Septicemic plague facts for kids
Septicemic plague is a very serious blood infection. It's one of the three main types of plague, along with bubonic and pneumonic plague. This disease is caused by a tiny germ called Yersinia pestis.
Septicemic plague can make tiny blood clots form all over the body. Without quick treatment, it is almost always deadly. In the Middle Ages, nearly everyone who got this type of plague died. Septicemic plague was the least common of the three plagues that hit Europe around 1348. This disease usually spreads from the bite of an infected rat or flea. In rare cases, it can get into the body through a cut in the skin or from someone else's cough. When someone has septicemic plague, the germs grow super fast in their blood. This leads to a very serious condition called sepsis.
The poisons (called endotoxins) made by the germs cause something called DIC. This means tiny blood clots form everywhere, stopping blood from reaching some parts of the body. When blood can't get there, cells start to die. DIC also uses up the body's ability to stop bleeding. So, people can start bleeding easily. This can cause red or black patches on the skin. People might also cough up or vomit blood. Sometimes, bumps appear on the skin that look like bug bites. They are usually red, sometimes with a white center. If caught early, special medicines called antibiotics can help a lot. The chance of dying drops to about 4 to 15 percent. People need treatment very quickly, usually within 24 hours, or they might not survive. Sometimes, people can even die on the same day they get sick.
What Are the Symptoms?
- Stomach pain
- Bleeding problems
- Diarrhea
- Fever (high temperature)
- Low blood pressure
- Feeling sick
- Organs stopping working
- Vomiting
Note: Septicemic plague can sometimes cause death before any symptoms even show up.
Septicemic Plague in the Middle Ages
Septicemic plague was the least common of the three types of plague during the Black Death from 1348 to 1350. Like the other plagues, it spread from the East. It traveled along trade routes on the Black Sea and down to the Mediterranean Sea. Big port cities like Venice and Florence were hit the hardest. The three plagues that made up the Black Death were a big reason for the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.
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