The plague is as deadly today as in the Middle Ages

What the report says

DW reports that plague, often associated with Europe’s 14th-century Black Death, remains present today and can still be fatal if not recognized and treated quickly. The article opens with the case of Paul Gaylord in Oregon, who developed flu-like symptoms after being bitten by a sick cat. Initially treated for cat scratch fever, he worsened, entered intensive care and was later diagnosed with plague. DW says his case illustrates how the disease’s rarity and early, non-specific symptoms can delay diagnosis.

The disease is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and appears mainly in three forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague is commonly transmitted by fleas that have fed on infected rodents, while septicemic plague involves bloodstream infection. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and is the form most likely to spread between people through droplets or aerosols. DW cites Germany’s Robert Koch Institute as saying about 3,000 global cases and more than 500 deaths were reported from 2010 to 2015, with current affected areas including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and especially Madagascar.

Holger Scholz of the Robert Koch Institute told DW that Europe’s lack of recent flea-borne plague is partly linked to changes in human housing and rodent contact. He said rapid diagnosis remains crucial, because antibiotics are effective but delays can be deadly, especially for pneumonic plague, where patients may have only about 48 hours after symptoms begin without treatment.

DW reports that Scholz considers another natural plague pandemic highly unlikely because Yersinia pestis does not spread as readily as airborne viruses and modern diagnostics and antibiotics exist. However, the article notes continuing concern about detection capacity, local outbreaks and potential misuse as a biological weapon.