Interpretation of knowledge on the incubation period of plague

Plague incubation period

The incubation period of plague is relatively short, generally between 1-6 days, usually 2-3 days, and up to 8-9 days in some cases. Bubonic plague is the most common clinical form, while pneumonic plague has a higher mortality rate.

Symptoms of plague in the incubation period: mild plague only manifests as irregular low-grade fever, mild systemic symptoms, mild swelling and tenderness of local lymph nodes, and no bleeding; severe plague may cause shock, sepsis or pneumonia and lead to death. Generally, people with respiratory symptoms or fever should receive medical observation.

The glandular type is the most common and often occurs in the early stages of an epidemic. It causes sudden chills, high fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, and occasional nausea, vomiting, irritability, skin bruises, and bleeding. When the disease occurs, the lymph nodes in the drainage area of ​​the flea bite are swollen and painful, and develop rapidly, reaching a peak on the 2nd to 4th day. The inguinal lymph nodes are most commonly affected, followed by the axilla, neck, and submandibular lymph nodes.

Plague epidemic

1. The First Plague Pandemic

It began in the middle of the 6th century and disappeared in the 8th century, claiming hundreds of millions of lives in Europe and Asia. The epidemic originated in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

The plague began to break out in Constantinople in 542. At that time, Constantinople was the most populous city in the world, and many caravans and fleets from Asia, Africa, and Europe gathered here. Because the outbreak coincided with the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, this plague was later called the "Justinian Plague."

2. The Second World Plague Pandemic - The Black Death

The plague known as the "Black Death" swept across Europe, killing 25 million Europeans, accounting for 1/3 of the total population of Europe at the time. The Black Death struck Europe again several times in the 15th and 16th centuries, but the mortality rate and severity gradually decreased.

3. The third plague pandemic

The third plague pandemic broke out suddenly and reached its peak in the 1930s, affecting more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe, America and Africa, killing more than 10 million people. The speed of this pandemic and the wide range of areas affected far exceeded the previous two pandemics. The characteristics of this pandemic were that the epidemic areas were mostly distributed in coastal cities and nearby densely populated residential areas, and it was also prevalent among domestic animals.

Common ways plague is spread

There are two main ways: one is "rat-flea-human", that is, fleas bite infected rats and then bite humans, or skin infected marmots or other infected animals. This type of transmission often causes bubonic plague or septicemic plague. The other is "human-human", that is, healthy people come into contact with patients with pneumonic plague and inhale the infection through the respiratory tract. This type of infection mainly causes pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague is divided into primary and secondary types. Primary pneumonic plague is one of the most severe clinical forms, with a high mortality rate and the greatest epidemiological harm. In addition to the systemic symptoms of plague, patients also have cyanosis of the lips, face, and limbs, and even the whole body due to breathing difficulties and lack of oxygen, so it is called the "Black Death".

Is the plague serious?

Plague is a highly contagious disease. There have been many large-scale epidemics both at home and abroad in history, causing a large number of deaths. my country's Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Law stipulates that plague is a Class A infectious disease.

How to protect yourself from infection

1. Avoid close contact with people who are coughing

2. Reduce the time spent in crowded places

3. Do not touch dead animals in plague-endemic areas

4. Use insect repellents in plague-endemic areas