A MAN who caught the bubonic plague from his pet cat who had a mouse in it’s mouth and nearly suffered an agonising death has revealed what it was like to lose all fingers and toes to the deadly disease.
Paul Gaylord, who lives in a remote part of Oregon, spoke about the horrific symptoms he suffered as the Black Death threatened his life – and even turned his hands black.
Paul, in his sixties, who lives 12 miles from the tiny town of Prineville, was infected back in June 2012, when his choking cat bit his finger as he tried to prize a trapped mouse from its jaws.
His dangerous condition saw him go on a life support machine for 27 days, as the Black Death slowly consumed his organs and resulted in his heart stopping beating and a lung to collapse.
The family of the welder released shocking images of Paul’s withered hands decaying from the deadly cell-killing infection in hospital.
The hospital’s chaplain even came for a “blessing” and baptised the unconscious Paul, and Paul’s son Jake flew from Texas to say goodbye to his dying dad.
Miraculously, the day before doctors were scheduled to switch off his life machine, Paul escaped death and stirred from his coma.
His life-threatening ordeal had begun when he experienced flu-like symptoms, a fever, grey skin that felt sore and glands swollen to the “size of lemons” under his arms.
The frightening change occurred two days after he tried (unsuccessfully) to dislodge a dead mouse that was caught in the back of his plague-stricken cat’s throat.
Try as they might, Paul and his friend could not remove the rodent, and the distressed cat bit him in the process.
He later shot the cat to put him out of his suffering, and buried him in the back garden, and it was only a few days later that he realised something was worryingly wrong.
Paul spoke to the Guardian about his experience when he woke up after contracting the plague, and said: “My doctor told me I had developed all three stages of the plague: bubonic (the least lethal form, which infects the lymphatic system), pneumonic (which infects the lungs) and septicaemic (the bloodstream).
“The doctor said I’d probably lose my feet and hands, but all I could think about was how thirsty I was. Eventually I understood the seriousness of what had happened: the day before I woke up from my coma, doctors had been talking about turning off my life support. My recovery shocked everybody.”
What are plague symptoms?
The World Health Organisation describes plague symptoms as “flu like”, with one to seven days between incubation and the symptoms emerging.Sufferers are likely to have painful lymph nodes, chills, fever, headaches, weakness and fatigue.In bubonic sufferers, these inflamed lymph nodes may end up turning into pus-filled open sores.Bubonic plague is fatal in 30-60 per cent of cases, while the pneumonic kind is always fatal, if left untreated.
After spending a month in hospital, Paul was finally able to go home, but had to live for six weeks with the dead fingers and toes before the doctors could work out which parts to amputate.
All of his toes on his left foot were later removed, along with a third of his right foot.
Doctors also removed his fingers, leaving the main part of his hands and part of his thumbs.
Paul told how Centres for Disease Control came round to his house to work out how the plague had infected him, and later sent off his dug-up dead cat to a lab for testing.
Tests came back positive for the bubonic plague, but the scientists were unsure how the moggie had contracted the disease, due to the roaming potential of the animal.
The disease is typically carried by a flea that resides on burrowing rodents such as squirrels or mice.
Paul said: “It’s hard to believe it happened to me, but rather than feel depressed, I’ve always felt positive and happy to be alive.”
After his recovery, the welder retired from work, but keeps busy making hunting knives as a hobby.
The devastating bubonic plague was widespread in the Middle Ages, and the most famous pandemic was the Black Death, where an outbreak brought entire civilisations to their knees and decimated the world’s population.
When was the Black Death?
The Black Death, a widespread bubonic plague infection, peaked in Europe between 1346 and 1353.
It was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, leaving an estimated 75 – 200 million people dead in Eurasia.
This fatality rate represents a staggering 30-60 per cent of the European population at the time.
After the plague, society experienced a series of marked changes, including a rise in religious fanaticism.
Lacking the medical knowledge to understand the pandemic, some groups blamed Jews and lepers for the outbreak – resulting in mass killings throughout Europe.
It took around 300 years for global populations to return to pre-plague levels after the outbreak.
It was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, leaving an estimated 75 – 200 million people dead in Eurasia.
There are three forms of plague infection: pneumoic plague, septicaemic plague and bubonic plague, the most common form.
The World Health Organisation describes plague symptoms as “flu like”, with one to seven days between incubation and the symptoms emerging.
Plague is a bacterial disease which swept through medieval Europe and has cropped up occasionally in the centuries since
Sufferers are likely to have painful lymph nodes, chills, fever, headaches, weakness and fatigue.
In bubonic sufferers, these inflamed lymph nodes may end up turning into pus-filled open sores.
If infected humans don’t get treatment for the bubonic plague, it kills around two thirds of patients within four days.
Earlier this year it was confirmed the plague has hit America, and an ongoing outbreak in Madagascar has left 100 dead.
How can I keep from Getting Plague?
To lower your risk of getting plague from a natural source:
- Do not handle sick or dead animal bodies. But if you must, then use gloves plus face and eye protection.
- Avoid rodents (mice, rats) and rodent droppings.
- Avoid insect bites by using an insect repellent containing DEET.
- Eliminate fleas from your home.
- Avoid touching infected tissues, materials, or body fluids from a plague-infected person or animal.
- Keep a minimum of 3 feet between you and anyone who may have the lung form of plague (pneumonia).
- It is always a good idea to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
If terrorists release plague bacteria on purpose, check for recommendations from SFDPH.
