Understand plague.

Plague is a serious infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It circulates among certain mammals and their fleas and still occurs in some regions today. Prompt medical treatment can cure it.

Bubonic plague affects lymph nodes and often causes painful swelling. Septicemic plague affects the bloodstream. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs. Infection can spread from one part of the body to another.

People usually become infected through an infected flea bite or contact with an infected animal’s tissues or fluids. Pneumonic plague can spread through respiratory droplets, typically during direct, close contact with an infected person or animal.

Symptoms can include fever, chills, weakness and painful swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague can cause cough, chest pain and breathing difficulty. Septicemic plague can cause severe weakness, abdominal pain and bleeding. Symptoms alone cannot confirm plague.

Symptoms often begin 1–7 days after infection. Pneumonic plague can develop faster, sometimes within 24 hours. Timing alone cannot confirm or exclude infection; it is not a reason to postpone assessment after a known exposure.

Seek immediate medical assessment for compatible symptoms, especially after a possible flea, animal or close-contact exposure in an affected area. Tell the clinician about recent travel and exposures. Treatment of suspected plague should not be delayed while waiting for test results.

Contact a clinician or local public-health service promptly after a known exposure, even without symptoms. Close contact with pneumonic plague or infected tissues or fluids may require preventive antibiotics. A professional must assess the exposure and decide what is needed; do not wait for symptoms or self-prescribe.

Yes. Antibiotics can treat plague, and early treatment is essential. A clinician chooses treatment according to the illness and the patient’s circumstances. Preventive antibiotics after a significant exposure also require professional assessment. This site does not diagnose an infection or prescribe treatment.

In areas where plague occurs, avoid handling sick or dead animals, use insect repellent as directed and maintain flea control for pets. Reduce rodent shelter and food around buildings. Seek veterinary care promptly for a sick pet and ask local authorities about dead-animal disposal.

Check current destination health advice and local public-health notices before travel. Discuss planned activities with a healthcare professional, avoid contact with animals and take precautions against flea bites where relevant. If illness develops after travel, tell the clinician where you have been.