World bi-traveler seeks fast encounter. In just a few days, I promise you will find me irresistible! — possible Craigslist ad for Yersinia Pestis

The plague was linked to the Yersinia pestis bacteria by a Swiss scientist, Alexandere Yersin in 1894. (ref)

“Yersinia pestis (formerly Pasteurella pestis) was responsible for the deaths of one third of the population in Europe between 1347 and 1353 “(ref).

“The disease is transmitted from rodents to humans by Xenopsylla cheopis, the oriental rat flea, or Pulex irritans, the human flea. The Yersinia pestis bacterium is credited with not only immeasurable human destruction, but also credited with facilitating sociological sea changes that altered the course of human civilization. A prominent example of such change was the demographics transformation in the late 14th Century Europe that destroyed the feudal system.” (ref)

“Treatments-Ancient methods of treatment: bathing in human urine; wearing own excrement; placing of “stinks” (dead animals) in your dwelling, use of leeches, and drinking molten gold and powdered emeralds. Modern methods of treatment: best if diagnosed during early onset; the use of sulphonamides was popular in the 1930’s; currently, use of streptomycin -the most effective therapeutic agent tested in the treatment of bubonic plague (excellent alternates-chloramphenicol and tetracycline). Penicillin is useless.” (ref)

“Three forms of plague currently exist, including bubonic, septic and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague is the most frequent form of infection which targets the lymphatic system. Infected persons will develop enlarged lymph nodes resulting in open sores at advanced stages. Septic plague, or Black Plague, attacks the bloodstream. Numerous black patches appear over the body due to sub dermal hemorrhages throughout the skin. Transmission of pneumonic plague can occur between humans without the involvement of the flea parasite. Although pneumonic plague is the least common form of transmission, it is the most contagious and holds the highest mortality rate.”(ref)

Yersinia pestis symptoms(ref)

Yersinia Pestis as a Potential Bioweapon Today

“Yersinia pestis is one of ten agents deemed by the U.S. Army Research Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases to be most suitable for development as a bioweapon.[20] Y. pestis is also one of six agents deemed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be of highest concern, the so-called Category A biological threat agents.[21] After conducting threat assessments, the Department of Homeland Security has determined that Y. pestis poses a “material threat” to U.S. national security.”ref“>22 (ref)

“Artificially created aerosol containing plague bacilli can cause numerous and almost simultaneous cases of primary pulmonic plague in an exposed population. Persons exposed would most likely develop severe pneumonia with rapidly progressing respiratory and circulatory failure. The use of the Yersinia pestis strains resistant to antibiotics typically applied cannot be excluded.” (ref)

” … in Denver where a simulated pneumonic plague attack was to occur (Miller et al. 2001). The attack simulation was supposed to last 10 days. It lasted four. By the fourth day, it became clear to everyone involved that there was no way for them to ‘catch up’ with the pestilence which had already spread throughout the US and as far away as Japan and England despite intensive efforts by officials to contain the disease.” (ref)

“Yersinia pestis is a recently evolved descendant of the soil-dwelling bacillus Yersinia pseudotuberculosis7, which in the course of its evolution acquired two additional plasmids (pMT1 and pPCP1) that provide it with specialized mechanisms for infiltrating mammalian hosts.”(ref)

Electron microscope photograph of Yersinia pestis.

Peter Terezakis

Tisch School of the Arts
http://www.terezakis.com