Plague
Alternate Names : Bubonic Plague, Pneumonic Plague, Septicemic Plague
Definition Plague is an infection caused by the organism Yersinia pestis. It is carried by wild rodents and transmitted to humans.
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Plague is transmitted among rodents and to humans by flea bite or ingestion of the feces of fleas. It can also be transmitted from human to human when a plague victim develops pneumonia and spreads infected droplets by coughing. An epidemic may be started this way.
Plague is rare in the United States, but areas where the disease is known to occur include parts of California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.
There are two types of plague, bubonic and pneumonic. The incubation period is 2 to 10 days but may be as short as a few hours for pneumonic plague.
Risk factors for plague include a recent flea bite; and occupational or environmental exposure to rodents (especially rabbits, squirrels, or prairie dogs; or scratches or bites from infected domestic cats).
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