Plague Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Bacillus: A large family of bacteria that are rod-like in shape. They include the bacteria...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Bacterium: The singular of bacteria.

Bioterrorism: Terrorism using biologic agents that are harmful to humans. Biological disea...

Black Death: The Medieval black plague that ravaged Europe and killed a third of its popul...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bubonic plague: An infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and ...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Dermatologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems...

Dermatology: 1. The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Epidemic: The occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community...

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Gangrene: Tissue death due to loss of adequate blood supply. Sometimes bacteria invade suc...

Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium) capable of developing into ...

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Intensive care: See critical care.

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Lymph gland: See Lymph node.

Lymph node: One of many small, bean-shaped organs located throughout the lymphatic system....

Memory: 1. The ability to recover information about past events or knowledge. ...

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes that envelop the brain and t...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

MPH: Master of public health, a degree designating successful training in analyzing past, ...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Node: Literally a knot, a node is a collection of tissue. For example a lymph node, is a ...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whol...

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Pestis: The plague. An infectious disease due to a bacteria called Yersinia pestis.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Plague: The plague is an infectious disease due to a bacteria called Yersinia pestis.

Pneumonic plague: Infection of the lungs by Yersina pestis, the bacterial agent that cause...

Poison: Any substance that can cause severe organ damage or death if ingested, breathed in...

Poison control center: A special information center set up to inform people about how to r...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Septic: Infected, or denoting infection. For example, septic shock is shock that is caused...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Smallpox: A highly contagious and frequently fatal viral disease that is characterized by ...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Sputum: Mucous material from the lungs that is produced (brought up) by coughing.

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgeon General: In the United States, the chief medical officer of the U.S. Public Health...

Swelling of the brain: See: Cerebral edema.

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Tetracycline: A family of broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against a remarkably wide v...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Ticks: Small wingless bloodsucking insects that, along with the mite, belongs to the order...

Toxicology: The study of the nature, effects, and detection of poisons (toxins) and the tr...

Traumatology: The branch of surgery that deals with injured patients, usually on an emerge...

Vector: In medicine, a carrier of disease or of medication. For example, in malaria a mosq...

World Health Organization: The subagency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with...

Yersinia: A group of bacteria that appear rod-like under the microscope and include Yersin...

Yersinia pestis: The bacteria that causes the bubonic plague which in the year 541 (as the...