Plague is a severe bacterial infection that may cause death. The disease affects small mammals, mainly rodents, and humans.
Bubonic plague; Pneumonic plague; Septicemic plague
Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Rodents, such as rats, carry the disease, which is spread by fleas.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, massive plague epidemics killed millions of people. These days, plague occurs sporadically but can be treated and usually cured if caught early. Plague can still be found on nearly all continents. Most human cases have occurred in Africa.
Today, plague is rare in the United States. An average of about 7 cases occur every year. Plague was introduced in the 1900s by rats aboard steamships. It caused epidemics in many urban areas up until 1925. The disease spread to the rural rodent population in the Western United States. Now most cases of plague occur in rural areas primarily in these states:
Wild animals affected by plague include:
Animals that eat other animals can get the disease by eating infected prey. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats can contract plague if they are bitten by fleas that carry the disease or eat small rodents such as mice.
People can get plague in the following ways:
There are three types of plague: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic.
Bubonic plague is an infection of the lymph nodes. It is the most common type of plague in the United States. Flea bites are usually the cause. Bubonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, usually 2 to 8 days after exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms include:
Septicemic plague is an infection of the blood. It may occur from a flea bite or from handling an infected animal. It can also occur from untreated bubonic plague. Septicemic plague may cause death even before severe symptoms occur. Symptoms can include:
Pneumonic plague is an infection of the lungs. This is the most serious form and is what can cause epidemics to occur. It can occur from inhaling respiratory droplets from an infected human or animal (cat). It is the only type that spreads between humans. Untreated bubonic or septicemic plague can also develop into pneumonic plague when bacteria spread to the lungs.
Pneumonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, typically 1 to 3 days after exposure. Pneumonia develops rapidly and symptoms include:
Human-to-human transmission of plague has not occurred in the United States since 1925.
Your health care provider will perform a physical examination and ask about your symptoms.
Tests that may be done include:
Plague is treated with antibiotics. People with plague need to be treated right away. Treatment should be given if plague is suspected, even before test results come back. If treatment is not received within 24 hours of when the first symptoms occur, the risk for death increases.
Antibiotics used to treat plague include:
Oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support are usually also needed.
People with pneumonic plague must be kept away from other patients and isolation procedures will be followed in the hospital. People who have had close contact with anyone infected by pneumonic plague should be given antibiotics as a preventive measure and watched carefully.
Before antibiotics, 60% of people with plague in the United States died. Now that plague can be treated with antibiotics, overall mortality is 11%. Almost everyone with septicemic or pneumonic plague dies if not treated right away.
Contact your provider if you develop plague symptoms after exposure to fleas or rodents. Contact your provider if you live in or have visited an area where plague occurs.
Rat control and watching for the disease in the wild rodent population are the main measures used to control the risk for epidemics. There is no plague vaccine available in the United States.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Plague. . Updated August 6, 2021. Accessed February 12, 2024.
Mead PS, Nelson CA. Plague and other Yersinia infections. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 288.
Mead PS. Plague (Yersinia pestis). In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 229A.
World Health Organization website. Plague. . Updated July 7, 2022. Accessed February 12, 2024.
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