Bubonic plague is typically transmitted by which vector?

Bubonic plague is typically transmitted by which vector?

• A. The respiratory droplets
• B. Contaminated water
• C. Infected flea bite
• D. Direct contact with infected tissue

Answer: (C)

Bubonic plague is transmitted through a flea vector. Infected fleas, often from rodents, bite a human and inject Yersinia pestis into the skin. The bacteria then travel to the lymph nodes, causing the characteristic buboes. The flea’s feeding mechanism plays a key role: blocked by a biofilm in the flea’s gut, the flea becomes hungrier and frequently bites, sometimes regurgitating bacteria into the host’s wound, which facilitates transmission. This flea-borne route is distinct from other forms of plague, such as pneumonic plague, which spreads via respiratory droplets. Contaminated water or direct contact with infected tissue are not the typical routes for bubonic plague transmission.

Bubonic plague is transmitted through a flea vector. Infected fleas, often from rodents, bite a human and inject Yersinia pestis into the skin. The bacteria then travel to the lymph nodes, causing the characteristic buboes. The flea’s feeding mechanism plays a key role: blocked by a biofilm in the flea’s gut, the flea becomes hungrier and frequently bites, sometimes regurgitating bacteria into the host’s wound, which facilitates transmission. This flea-borne route is distinct from other forms of plague, such as pneumonic plague, which spreads via respiratory droplets. Contaminated water or direct contact with infected tissue are not the typical routes for bubonic plague transmission.