Bubonic Plague?

Question

How does the Bubonic Plague kill humans when it infects them.

Please include valid sources to support your awnser.

Answer 1

The germ was called Pasturella pestis, but is now named Yersinia pestis. The disease is transmitted by rats and fleas. The flea bites the infected rat, then bites a human and injects the bacilli into the victim. It sneaks past the human immune system and multiplies in the body, but may not cause symptoms for several days. Then an overwhealming infection develops. Fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes (buboes), and bleeding into the skin and other organs. The latter leads to organ failure. Hemorrhage and organ failure are probably the main causes of death.

In others, the disease attacks the lungs, and an overwhealming pneumonia causes rapid death.

Antibiotics are effective, but the disease develops so quickly, many die before the antibiotic has a chance to act.