1. Bubonic Plague
By: Shawn Sullivan

2. Cause
• Caused by a bacterial
infection
• Infection caused by
bacterium Yersinia pestis

3. How is it transmitted?
• Spread by rodents,
such as rats
• Also spread by fleas
that have bitten an
infected animal
• Also spread from
human to human
through the air
(pneumonic)

4. Who gets it?
• Anyone can get it, there is no
discrimination

5. Etiology
• incubation period is 2 to 10 days
• Symptoms include: chills, general ill
feeling (malaise), high fever, severe
headache, seizures, and lymph gland
swelling called buboes
• Acute
• Possible to get multiple times
• Whole body is affected, especially
the lymph system

6. Prognosis and Treatment
• Can be prevented by controlling the rat population
• Vaccine available for high-risk workers
• To treat plague, antibiotics such as streptomycin,
gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin are used
• Without treatment, there is a 50% to 90% chance of death
• Treatment reduces the death rate by 50%