General
Overview: Historically,
plague has been recognized
for the epidemics of mass
human casualties it has
inflicted. Today, it
is still prevalent in
various areas throughout the
world (not US).
Spread by fleas,
plague manifests itself in
two main forms: pneumonic
and bubonic. Pneumonic
plague occurs from breathing
infected air; bubonic plague
occurs through skin
transmission of the disease
(e.g. - flea bite).
Bubonic plague is
characterized by extremely
painful and swollen lymph
nodes called buboes.
Person-to-person
transmission of plague can
occur but only in the
pneumonic form.
Although the bubonic form
can't be spread to another
person, if it spreads to the
lungs it can result in a
secondary case of pneumonic
plague. In any case of
pneumonic plague, death
usually occurs without early
treatment.
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