What was plague caused by

Plague is a life-threatening disease. If you have been exposed to rodents or fleas, or if you have visited a region where plague is known to occur, and you develop symptoms of plague, contact your doctor immediately:.

When you visit the doctor, emergency room, or anywhere else where others are present, wear a surgical mask to prevent the spread of the disease. If your doctor suspects you may have plague, they will check for the presence of the bacteria in your body:. The samples will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Preliminary results may be ready in just two hours, but confirmatory testing takes 24 to 48 hours. Often, if the plague is suspected, your doctor will begin treatment with antibiotics before the diagnosis is confirmed.

This is because the plague progresses rapidly, and being treated early can make a big difference in your recovery. The plague is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent care.

With no treatment, bubonic plague can multiply in the bloodstream causing septicemic plague or in the lungs causing pneumonic plague. Death can occur within 24 hours after the appearance of the first symptom. Treatment usually involves strong and effective antibiotics such as gentamicin or ciprofloxacin, intravenous fluids, oxygen, and, sometimes, breathing support.

Medical personnel and caregivers must take strict precautions to avoid getting or spreading plague. Plague can lead to gangrene if blood vessels in your fingers and toes disrupt blood flow and cause death to tissue. In rare cases, plague can cause meningitis, an inflammation of membranes that surround your spinal cord and brain.

Keeping the rodent population under control in your home, workplace, and recreation areas can greatly reduce your risk of getting the bacteria that causes plague. Keep your home free from stacks of cluttered firewood or piles of rock, brush, or other debris that could attract rodents. Protect your pets from fleas using flea control products.

Pets that roam freely outdoors may be more likely to come into contact with plague-infected fleas or animals. If you live in an area where the plague is known to occur, the CDC recommends not allowing pets that roam freely outside to sleep in your bed.

If your pet becomes sick, seek care from a veterinarian right away. Use insect repellent products or natural insect repellants like oil of lemon eucalyptus when spending time outdoors. If you have been exposed to fleas during a plague outbreak, visit your doctor immediately so your concerns can be addressed quickly.

Epidemics of plague killed millions of people about one-quarter of the population in Europe during the Middle Ages. Today the risk of developing plague is quite low, with only 3, cases and deaths reported to the World Health Organization WHO from to Outbreaks are generally associated with infested rats and fleas in the home.

Crowded living conditions and bad sanitation also increase the risk of plague. Today, most human cases of the plague occur in Africa though they do appear elsewhere. The countries in which the plague is most common are Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru. The plague is rare in the United States, but the disease is still sometimes found in the rural southwest and, in particular, in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. The last epidemic of plague in the United States occurred in to in Los Angeles.

It's named after the swollen lymph nodes buboes that typically develop in the first week after you become infected. Buboes may be:. Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in your bloodstream. Signs and symptoms include:. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs. It's the least common variety of plague but the most dangerous, because it can be spread from person to person via cough droplets.

Signs and symptoms can begin within a few hours after infection, and may include:. Pneumonic plague progresses rapidly and may cause respiratory failure and shock within two days of infection. Pneumonic plague needs to be treated with antibiotics within a day after signs and symptoms first appear, or the infection is likely to be fatal. If you begin to feel ill and have been in an area where plague has been known to occur, seek immediate medical attention.

You'll need treatment with medication to prevent serious complications or death. In the United States, plague has been transmitted to humans in several western and southwestern states — primarily New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado. Worldwide, plague is most common in rural and semirural parts of Africa especially the African island of Madagascar , South America and Asia. The plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, is transmitted to humans through the bites of fleas that have previously fed on infected animals, such as:.

The bacteria can also enter your body if a break in your skin comes into contact with an infected animal's blood. Domestic cats and dogs can become infected with plague from flea bites or from eating infected rodents. Pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs, is spread by inhaling infectious droplets coughed into the air by a sick animal or person.

The risk of developing plague is very low. Worldwide, only a few thousand people develop plague each year. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague. Plague is infamous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Today, modern antibiotics are effective in treating plague. Without prompt treatment, the disease can cause serious illness or death. Presently, human plague infections continue to occur in rural areas in the western United States, but significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia.

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.