Plagues+and+Diseases+in+Vietnam

__Back to Research  __ === __Bubonic Plague  __     ===


 Causes: · Rats are bitten by infected flea · Flea regurgitates infected material while feeding · Rat contracts a fatal disease called murine or silvatic Plague · Rat dies, flea jumps to nearest warm-blooded host · Human is bitten by infected flea

How it Spread - people were unaware of the causes -over crowded streets - lack of hygene <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia,serif;">-  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">many people did these things to prevent them from getting the disease -burning incense -dipping handkerchiefs in aromatic oils -ringing church bells and firing cannons -wearing talismans -bathing in human urine -placing dead animals in their dwellings -bleeding from leeches and bloodletting, -drinking the pus extracted from a suppurated bubo -applying dried toads to relieve the pain of the buboes by absorbing the "poisons," -drinking liquid gold or powdered emeralds (only for the very rich) -joining groups of flagellants. - spread the disease more

<span style="color: rgb(255, 81, 0); font-size: 120%;">Signs and symptoms: Other symptoms · Some cases the microbe proceeded straight to the blood stream · Septicemic plague can occur before the formation of buboes · Results in death before diagnosis · With septicemic- blood vessels pop and cause black rashes under the skin · Multiple system failure · Hemorrhagic illness (bleeding) · Death <span style="color: rgb(153, 204, 0); font-size: 120%;"> Death rate: · All occurs within 3-7 days - Mortality rate for untreated bubonic plague is 50-75% = =
 * One to six days after being bitten, the lymph nodes in the armpit and groin become tender
 * Swell (as large as an egg [1to 10 cm in diameter])
 * Swollen areas called buboes
 * Sometimes original bite site becomes infected
 * Not rare for the tissue to die
 * Restlessness
 * Staggering gait
 * Mental confusion [[image:bubound.jpg align="right"]]
 * Prostration
 * Delirium
 * Rapid pulse
 * Nausea
 * Aching of extremities and back
 * High fever

__Syphilis__
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 204, 204);">Causes: · Spread by close personal contact · Open sores · Breaks in the skin · Sexual transmission · Vertical transmission ( mother to fetus) · Forms within two to ten weeks Signs and symptoms: Primary: · 1-3 months after exposer host experiences enlarged lymph nodes = =   Secondary: · a flu-like illness developes · sometimes immune system succeeds and there is spontaneous resolution · if microbes are not destroyed skin rash develops · patient is highly infectious · with time the organism disappears from secondary lesions and skin rash Tertiary Syphilis · some of the tresponems spread to other parts = =  in particular - mucous membranes - liver - eyes - joints - bones - muscles = =  - central nervous system · can multiply or stay dormant · can rage from mild skin rash to significant central nervous system involvement resulting in paralysis and death death rate: · 25% undergo spontaneous cure · 25% show no further symptoms - remaining 50% go into tertiary

= __Cholera__ = Causes: · Transmitted through contaminated water · Cause infection only in humans · Bacteria binds to the inside of the small intestine and secrete a potent toxin · Alters the membrane transport mechanism · Draws water, chloride and sodium out of the gut Signs and symptoms: · Three stages <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(255, 82, 0);">Invasion · End of incubation period symptoms show up · Include: malaise, headache, severe diarrhea (rice water stool), anorexia and a slight fever · Results in loss of fluid and electrolytes · Causes hypovolemic shock, renal failure and cardiac failure, <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(255, 125, 0);">Collapse · Circulation almost completely arrested, accelerated breathing, weak pulse, decreased blood pressure, and reduced or no urine output. · This stage lasts a few hours to a day or two · Mind remains clear until death · Coma occurs · Death can follow onset of symptoms after 6 hours <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(255, 141, 0);">Reaction · Sometimes symptoms stop <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Death rate: · 40-60% mortality rate if left untreated

= __Smallpox__ = Causes: · Caused by poxvirus · Spread from person to person through contact with skin lesions or via the respiratory tract <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 102);"> Signs and symptoms: · Two usual forms · Variola major and Variola minor · Minor causes sparse rash and low-grade fever · Extremely stable · Also two rare forms · Hemorrhagic and malignant · First causes subcutaneous bleeding · Both 100% fatal if left untreated <span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 255);"> Death rate: ·  **  20-40% depending on age and health

http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/bugl/histepi.htm#intro**