What is the treatment for the bubonic plague?
Antibiotic treatment of bubonic plague is usually effective, but pneumonic plague is difficult to treat and even with antibiotic therapy death often results. A killed whole cell plague vaccine has been used in the past, but recent studies in animals have shown that this vaccine offers poor protection against pneumonic disease.
What is the best antibiotic for the plague?
As soon as your doctor suspects that you have plague, you'll need to be admitted to a hospital. You'll receive powerful antibiotics, such as: Gentamicin. Doxycycline (Monodox, Vibramycin, others) Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) Levofloxacin. Moxifloxacin (Avelox) Chloramphenicol.
What antibiotics are used to treat the Black Death?
If you must be near the person, wear tight-fitting disposable surgical masks so you won’t breathe in the plague bacteria. If you have the plague, you'll be admitted to the hospital. You'll get antibiotics like: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) Doxycycline (Vibramycin) Gentamicin (Garamycin) Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
What is the bubonic plague?
Bubonic plague is a type of infection caused by the Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) bacterium which is spread mostly by fleas on rodents and other animals. Humans who are bitten by the fleas then can come down with plague. It’s an example of a disease that can spread between animals and people (a zoonotic disease).
How is bubonic plague treated medically today?
The bubonic plague can be treated and cured with antibiotics. If you are diagnosed with bubonic plague, you'll be hospitalized and given antibiotics. In some cases, you may be put into an isolation unit.
What type of treatment is provided to the plague patient?
Antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin are used to treat plague. Oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support are usually also needed. People with pneumonic plague must be kept away from other patients and isolation procedures will be followed in the hospital.
How were plague patients treated?
Plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Once a patient is diagnosed with suspected plague they should be hospitalized and, in the case of pneumonic plague, medically isolated.
Is there a cure for the bubonic plague now?
Unlike Europe's disastrous bubonic plague epidemic, the plague is now curable in most cases. It can successfully be treated with antibiotics, and according to the CDC , treatment has lowered mortality rates to approximately 11 percent. The antibiotics work best if given within 24 hours of the first symptoms.
Is there a vaccine for bubonic plague?
Plague vaccine is a vaccine used against Yersinia pestis to prevent the plague. Inactivated bacterial vaccines have been used since 1890 but are less effective against the pneumonic plague, so live, attenuated vaccines and recombinant protein vaccines have been developed to prevent the disease.
When was the cure for bubonic plague discovered?
Effective treatment with antiserum was initiated in 1896, but this therapy was supplanted by sulphonamides in the 1930s and by streptomycin starting in 1947.
Does Cipro cure bubonic plague?
We report 5 cases of culture-confirmed human plague treated successfully with oral ciprofloxacin, including 1 case of pneumonic plague. Plague is a life-threatening zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis.
What are the prevention and treatment of plague?
Remove brush, rock piles, junk, cluttered firewood, and possible rodent food supplies, such as pet and wild animal food. Make your home and outbuildings rodent-proof. Wear gloves if you are handling or skinning potentially infected animals to prevent contact between your skin and the plague bacteria.
What did plague doctors do?
A plague doctor was a type of doctor who would treat victims of the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, during the second major outbreak of the disease across Western Europe. They were usually hired by cities to treat infected patients regardless of income, especially the poor that could not afford to pay.
How was bubonic plague stopped?
The most popular theory of how the plague ended is through the implementation of quarantines. The uninfected would typically remain in their homes and only leave when it was necessary, while those who could afford to do so would leave the more densely populated areas and live in greater isolation.
Is bubonic plague and Black Death the same thing?
The survivors called it the Great Pestilence. Victorian scientists dubbed it the Black Death. As far as most people are concerned, the Black Death was bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, a flea-borne bacterial disease of rodents that jumped to humans.
What is the black plague called today?
Bubonic plague is the most common variety of the disease. It's named after the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) that typically develop in the first week after you become infected.
What antibiotics are given for bubonic plague?
In some cases, you may be put into an isolation unit. Antibiotics that treat bubonic plague include: Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin. Gentamicin.
Where does the Bubonic Plague occur?
Bubonic plague still occurs throughout the world and in the U.S., with cases in Africa, Asia, South America and the western areas of North America. About seven cases of plague happen in the U.S. every year on average. Half of the U.S. cases involve people aged 12 to 45 years.
How long does it take for a bubonic plague to go away?
Symptoms usually develop two to six days after exposure. The best recovery happens if you are treated within 24 hours of developing symptoms. You’ll probably feel better after one to two weeks. However, untreated bubonic plague can be fatal.
What are the symptoms of the septicemic plague?
Sudden high fever and chills. Pains in the areas of the abdomen, arms and legs. Headaches. Large and swollen lumps in the lymph nodes (buboes) that develop and leak pus. Symptoms of septicemic plague may include blackened tissue from gangrene, often involving the fingers or toes, or unusual bleeding.
What is the plague caused by?
Plague is an infectious disease caused by a specific type of bacterium called Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis can affect humans and animals and is spread mainly by fleas. Bubonic plague is one type of plague. It gets its name from the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) caused by the disease.
What are the different types of plagues?
The other types of plague are: 1 Septicemic plague, which happens when the infection goes all through the body. 2 Pneumonic plague, which happens when lungs are infected.
How did the plague get its name?
It gets its name from the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) caused by the disease. The nodes in the armpit, groin and neck can become as large as eggs and can ooze pus. The other types of plague are: Septicemic plague, which happens when the infection goes all through the body.
What to do if you have the plague?
If you live or have recently traveled to the western U.S. or any other plague endemic area and have symptoms suggestive of plague, seek health care immediately.
What is the diagnosis of a bubo?
Diagnosis. Doctors examining a bubo caused by plague. Plague is a plausible diagnosis for people who are sick and live in, or have recently traveled to, the western United States or any other plague-endemic area.
Is the plague a serious illness?
Plague is a very serious illness, but is treatable with commonly available antibiotics. The earlier a patient seeks medical care and receives treatment that is appropriate for plague, the better their chances are of a full recovery.
Can fleas cause plague?
A known flea bite or the presence of a bubo may help a doctor to consider plague as a cause of the illness. In many cases, particularly in septicemic and pneumonic plague, there are no obvious signs that indicate plague.
How to help someone who has the plague?
Spend a lot of time outdoors working, hiking, camping, or hunting. Spend time with someone who has the plague. Treatment. If you’ve been in an area with the plague and have symptoms, see a doctor right away. Hours can make a difference.
What can a doctor do to check for the plague?
Your doctor can run tests of blood, spit, or fluid from your lymph nodes to check for plague germs. If you’ve been around someone who has the plague, your doctor may start treatment even if you don’t have symptoms.
How does the plague spread?
The plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. It’s usually spread by fleas. These bugs pick up the germs when they bite infected animals like rats, mice, or squirrels. Then they pass it to the next animal or person they bite. You can also catch the plague directly from infected animals or people.
What are the symptoms of the plague?
You feel very sick and weak and may have a fever, chills, and headaches. Other symptoms depend on the three main kinds of plague: Bubonic plague. This is the most common type. It causes buboes, which are very swollen and painful lymph nodes under the arms, in the neck, or in the groin.
Where can you catch the plague?
Thanks to treatment and prevention, the plague is rare now. Only a few thousand people around the world get it each year. Most of the cases are in Africa (especially the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar), India, and Peru.
Can you get the plague without treatment?
But without treatment, most people with the plague die. Prevention. There’s no vaccine for the plague in the U.S. So if you have a chance of contact with plague germs, take steps to protect yourself. If you travel to Africa, Asia, or South America, check for traveler notices about plague outbreaks on the CDC website.
Can you get the plague if you live in an area?
But you’re more likely to get if you visit or live in an area with the plague and you: If you’ve been in an area with the plague and have symptoms, see a doctor right away. Hours can make a difference. Your doctor can run tests of blood, spit, or fluid from your lymph nodes to check for plague germs.
TRANSMISSION
Usually through the bite of infected rodent fleas. Less common exposures include handling infected animal tissues (hunters, wildlife personnel), inhalation of infectious droplets from cats or dogs with plague, and, rarely, contact with a pneumonic plague patient.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Endemic to rural areas in central and southern Africa (especially eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, northwestern Uganda, and Madagascar), central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the northeastern part of South America, and parts of the southwestern United States. Overall risk to travelers is low.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
Incubation period is typically 1–6 days. Symptoms and signs of the 3 clinical presentations of plague illness are as follows:
DIAGNOSIS
Y. pestis can be isolated from bubo aspirates, blood cultures, or sputum culture if pneumonic. Diagnosis can be confirmed in public health laboratories by culture or serologic tests for the Y. pestis F1 antigen. Plague is a nationally notifiable disease.
TREATMENT
There are a number of antibiotics used in the treatment of plague including gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin. The parenteral antibiotic, moxifloxacin, may also be used. Parenteral streptomycin and chloramphenicol are alternatives.
PREVENTION
Reduce contact with fleas and potentially infected rodents and other wildlife. No plague vaccine is available for commercial use in the United States. Antibiotics are used for postexposure prophylaxis.
What antibiotics are given for the plague?
You'll receive powerful antibiotics, such as: Gentamicin. Doxycycline (Monodox , Vibramycin , others) Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) Levofloxacin. Moxifloxacin (Avelox) Chloramphenicol.
What bacteria is in a blood sample taken from a bubonic plague?
Diagnosis. If your doctor suspects plague, he or she may look for the Yersinia pestis bacteria in samples taken from your: Buboes. If you have the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) typical of bubonic plague, your doctor may use a needle to take a fluid sample from them (aspiration). Blood.
How to check for pneumonic plague?
To check for pneumonic plague, your doctor will take mucus (sputum) or fluid from your airways using a thin, flexible tube inserted through your nose or mouth and down your throat (endoscopy).
What is the etiological agent of the Bubonic and Pneumonic Plague?
Vaccination against bubonic and pneumonic plague. Yersinia pestis is the etiological agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague, diseases which have caused over 200 milllion human deaths in the past. Plague still occurs throughout the world today, though for reasons that are not fully understood pandemics of disease do not develop from these outbreaks.
Is bubonic plague a good cure?
Antibiotic treatment of bubonic plague is usually effective, but pneumonic plague is difficult to treat and even with antibiotic therapy death often results. A killed whole cell plague vaccine has been used in the past, but recent studies in animals have shown that this vaccine offers poor protection against pneumonic disease.
Successful Treatment of Human Plague with Oral Ciprofloxacin
Titus Apangu, Kevin Griffith 1, Janet Abaru, Gordian Candini, Harriet Apio, Felix Okoth, Robert Okello, John Kaggwa, Sarah Acayo, Geoffrey Ezama, Brook Yockey, Christopher Sexton, Martin Schriefer, Edward Katongole Mbidde, and Paul S. Mead
Abstract
The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved ciprofloxacin for treatment of plague ( Yersina pestis infection) based on animal studies. Published evidence of efficacy in humans is sparse. We report 5 cases of culture-confirmed human plague treated successfully with oral ciprofloxacin, including 1 case of pneumonic plague.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the assistance of all staff of the participating clinics, members of the Data Safety Monitoring Board, Jeff Borchert, and Kiersten Kugeler.
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