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, andnose.See the
Plague.
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