Plague

Alternative Names

Plague, Bubonic plague, Pneumonic plague, Septicemic plague

What is Plague

Plague is an acute, infectious disease that commom among people, rodents and ectoparasites (fleas and lice).

There are 3 most prevalent forms of plague:

• Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymph nodes
• Pneumonic plague is an infection of the lungs
• Septicemic plague is an infection of the blood

The incubation period or plague is typically 2-7 days, but may be as short as 1 day for pneumonic plague.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms of Bubonic plague occur suddenly, usually after 2-5 days of exposure to the bacteria. They are:

• Chills
• Fever
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Seizures
• Smooth, painful lymph gland swelling called a bubo

The symptoms of Pneumonic plague also appear suddenly, typically 2-3 days after exposure. They are:

• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever
• Frothy, bloody sputum
• Pain in the chest when you breathe deeply
• Severe cough

Septicemic plague can lead to death even before its symptoms occur. The symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding due to blood clotting problems
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Possible complications

Plague can cause such complications as:

• Death. In most cases, people who receive prompt antibiotic treatment survive plague. Untreated plague has a fatality rate over 50%.
• Gangrene. Blood clots in the tiny blood vessels of your fingers and toes can disrupt the flow of blood and cause that tissue to die. The portions of your fingers and toes that have died may need to be amputated.
• Meningitis. In rare cases, plague can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord.

What causes

The main cause of this disease is plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, that transmitted to people when they are bitten by fleas that have previously fed on such infected animals as:

• Rats
• Squirrels
• Rabbits
• Prairie dogs
• Chipmunks

You can also be infected by plague if you have a break in your skin that comes into contact with an infected animal's blood. Domestic cats can become infected by plague from flea bites or from eating infected rodents.

Pneumonic plague is spread by inhaling infectious droplets coughed into the air by a sick animal or person.

Prevention

The main ways to control the risk of epidemics are rat control and watching for the disease in the wild rodent population. A vaccination is available for high-risk workers, but there is no proof in its effectiveness.

Treatment

People with plague need immediate treatment. If they do not receive the treatment within 24 hours, they may die. Certain antibiotics are used to treat plague. They include streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and oxygen,intravenous fluids.

People with pneumonic plague should be strictly isolated from caregivers and other patients. People who have had contact with anyone infected by pneumonic plague should be watched carefully and given antibiotics as a preventive measure.