Which organism is primarily linked to bubonic plague?

Which organism is primarily linked to bubonic plague?

• A. Bacillus anthracis
• B. Clostridium tetani
• C. Staphylococcus aureus
• D. Yersinia pestis

Answer: (D)

Yersinia pestis is the organism primarily linked to bubonic plague. This Gram-negative bacterium is transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of infected fleas that ride on rodents. In bubonic plague, the bacteria travel to regional lymph nodes, causing painful swollen nodes called buboes, along with fever and malaise. The other organisms listed cause different diseases—Bacillus anthracis with anthrax, Clostridium tetani with tetanus, and Staphylococcus aureus with a range of skin and other infections—so they aren’t associated with bubonic plague. For embalmers, recognizing the potential for plague underscores the need for strict infection control and appropriate precautions when handling bodies, given the historical infectious risk these pathogens represented.

Yersinia pestis is the organism primarily linked to bubonic plague. This Gram-negative bacterium is transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of infected fleas that ride on rodents. In bubonic plague, the bacteria travel to regional lymph nodes, causing painful swollen nodes called buboes, along with fever and malaise. The other organisms listed cause different diseases—Bacillus anthracis with anthrax, Clostridium tetani with tetanus, and Staphylococcus aureus with a range of skin and other infections—so they aren’t associated with bubonic plague. For embalmers, recognizing the potential for plague underscores the need for strict infection control and appropriate precautions when handling bodies, given the historical infectious risk these pathogens represented.