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Article: Bubonic Plague
- Article from:
- World of Forensic Science
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Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague is an infectious disease. Thus, it is a concern in
forensic science
as a possible
cause of death
during an occurrence or outbreak featuring an unknown pathogen (illness-causing agent).
The bacterium that is responsible for bubonic plague is
Yersinia pestis
, named after one of its co-discoverers, Alexandre Yersin, and is also known as
Pasteurella pestis
. Typically, the bacterium is passed from rodents to other animals and humans via the bite of a flea. The flea acquires the bacterium as it lives on the skin of the rodent. Humans can also acquire the disease by direct contact with infected tissue or
fluids
.
Pneumonic plague (infection with
Yersinia ...