It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In the 1300s it was known as the Black Death, which killed an estimated 20-30 million people in Europe. This strain of the plague infects the lymphatic system and becomes inflamed. Symptoms appear much more quickly than in leprosy; within 3-7 days people will begin to develop flu-like symptoms. However, similar to leprosy, bubonic plague can be treated with antibiotics. Of course, due to its fast-acting nature, early diagnosis and treatment are critical to help cure it. Bubonic plague is rarely transmitted from person to person and is instead transmitted when a