The Black Death: Should we be afraid?

As the infectious Black Death plague continues to spread and kill people on the island of Madagascar and along the east coast of Africa, many people have asked me, “Should we be afraid?” or, “What would I personally do if a loved one of mine contracted a life-threating infection, especially one that does not respond to antibiotics?”

Fortunately, the deadly “medieval” Black Death—caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria—can be cured with antibiotics if they are administered quickly. Sadly, in Africa, there are too few doctors and antibiotics are in short supply. Fortunately, in the United States, we have plenty of doctors and an ample supply of antibiotics.

Black Death notwithstanding, there is now the issue of antibiotic resistance. From the discovery of penicillin by Dr. Alexander Fleming in 1928 until today, antibiotics have saved millions of lives and spared immeasurable suffering around the world. But from the moment it all started, scientists knew the age of antibiotics came with an expiration date. They just didn’t know when.

We are now entering a “post-antibiotic” era where even our most potent antibiotics are beginning to no longer work. When this happens, a person develops septic shock and dies. And some infections, such as Ebola and Zika, are caused by a virus and not bacteria. Therefore, they do not respond to antibiotics. And throughout history, influenza (flu) outbreaks have killed more people than any other epidemic, including the Black Death and Ebola.

If a loved one of mine was facing a life-altering or life-threatening acute or chronic infection that was unresponsive to conventional treatment, I would immediately administer the following alternative treatments and would continue them until all signs and symptoms of infection were gone:

The above treatment combination is designed to inhibit the overwhelming oxidative stress and inflammatory response that can rapidly lead to multiple organ failure and death from septicemia.

Knowing there are options, I hope this puts your mind at ease. However, before any potential outbreak occurs in the United States, it is important to find out if your doctor is familiar with alternative treatments and can provide them promptly if necessary. Waiting until after the fact could put your life at risk.