Bubonic plague (patient information)

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Bubonic Plague
ICD-10	A20
ICD-9	020
DiseasesDB	14226
MedlinePlus	000596

WikiDoc Resources for Bubonic plague (patient information)
Articles
Most recent articles on Bubonic plague (patient information) Most cited articles on Bubonic plague (patient information) Review articles on Bubonic plague (patient information) Articles on Bubonic plague (patient information) in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Bubonic plague (patient information) Images of Bubonic plague (patient information) Photos of Bubonic plague (patient information) Podcasts & MP3s on Bubonic plague (patient information) Videos on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Bubonic plague (patient information) Bandolier on Bubonic plague (patient information) TRIP on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Bubonic plague (patient information) at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Bubonic plague (patient information) Clinical Trials on Bubonic plague (patient information) at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Bubonic plague (patient information) NICE Guidance on Bubonic plague (patient information) NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Bubonic plague (patient information) CDC on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Books
Books on Bubonic plague (patient information)
News
Bubonic plague (patient information) in the news Be alerted to news on Bubonic plague (patient information) News trends on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Commentary
Blogs on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Definitions
Definitions of Bubonic plague (patient information)
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Bubonic plague (patient information) Discussion groups on Bubonic plague (patient information) Patient Handouts on Bubonic plague (patient information) Directions to Hospitals Treating Bubonic plague (patient information) Risk calculators and risk factors for Bubonic plague (patient information)
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Bubonic plague (patient information) Causes & Risk Factors for Bubonic plague (patient information) Diagnostic studies for Bubonic plague (patient information) Treatment of Bubonic plague (patient information)
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Bubonic plague (patient information)
International
Bubonic plague (patient information) en Espanol Bubonic plague (patient information) en Francais
Business
Bubonic plague (patient information) in the Marketplace Patents on Bubonic plague (patient information)
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Bubonic plague (patient information)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Samuel A. Hom

Overview

Plague is a severe and potentially deadly bacterial infection.

What are the symptoms of Bubonic plague?

Bubonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, usually after 2 - 5 days of exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms include:

• Chills
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• High fever
• Muscle pain
• Severe headache
• Seizures
• Smooth, painful lymph gland swelling called a bubo
• Commonly found in the groin, but may occur in the armpits or neck, most often at the site of the initial infection (bite or scratch)
• Pain may occur in the area before the swelling appears

Pneumonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, typically 2 - 3 days after exposure. They include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Frothy, bloody sputum
• Severe cough

Septicemic plague may cause death even before its symptoms occur. Symptoms can include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding due to blood clotting problems
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Low blood pressure
• Nausea
• Organ failure
• Vomiting

What are the causes of Bubonic plague?

Plague is caused by the organism Yersinia pestis. Rodents, such as rats, spread the disease to humans. People can get the plague when they are bitten by a flea that carries the plague bacteria from an infected rodent. In rare cases, you may get the disease when handling an infected animal. Certain forms of the plague can be spread from human to human. When someone with pneumonic plague coughs, microscopic droplets carrying the infection move through the air. Anyone who breathes in these particles may catch the disease. An epidemic may be started this way. In the Middle Ages, massive plague epidemics killed millions of people. Today, plague is rare in the United States, but has been known to occur in parts of California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. There three most common forms of plague are:

• Bubonic plague -- an infection of the lymph nodes
• Pneumonic plague -- an infection of the lungs
• Septicemic plague -- an infection of the blood
• The time between being infected and developing symptoms is typically 2 to 10 days, but may be as short as a few hours for pneumonic plague.

Who is at risk for Bubonic plague?

People can get the plague when they are bitten by a flea that carries the plague bacteria from an infected rodent. In rare cases, you may get the disease when handling an infected animal. Risk factors for plague include a recent flea bite and exposure to rodents, especially rabbits, squirrels, or prairie dogs, or scratches or bites from infected domestic cats.

How to know you have Bubonic plague?

When any of the symptoms become apparent.

When to seek urgent medical care

Call your health care provider if you develop plague symptoms after exposure to fleas or rodents, especially if you live in or have visited an area where plague occurs.

Treatment options

People with the plague need immediate treatment. If treatment is not received within 24 hours of when the first symptoms occur, death may be unavoidable. Antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin are used to treat plague. Oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support usually are also needed. Patients with pneumonic plague are strictly isolated from other patients. People who have had contact with anyone infected by pneumonic plague are watched carefully and are given antibiotics as a preventive measure.

Diseases with similar symptoms

• Asthma
• effects of antibiotics
• allergies
• whooping cough

Where to find medical care for Bubonic plague

Directions to Hospitals Treating Bubonic plague

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)

Without treatment, about 50 - 90% of those with bubonic plague die. Almost all people with pneumonic plague die if not treated. Treatment reduces the death rate to 50%.

Prevention

Plague will probably continue to exist in its many localized geographic areas around the world, and plague outbreaks in wild rodent hosts will continue to occur. Attempts to eliminate wild rodent plague are costly and futile. Therefore, primary preventive measures are directed toward reducing the threat of infection in humans in high risk areas through three techniques -- environmental management, public health education, and preventive drug therapy.

Sources

Medline Plus CDC