Bubonic plague; Pneumonic plague; Septicemic 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

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood culture
• Culture of lymph node aspirate (fluid taken from an affected lymph node or bubo)
• Culture of sputum

Images

Flea bite - close-up

Antibodies

Flea

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Plague Overview

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Plague Treatment

Review Date: 05/30/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)