Yes, there is a treatment for bubonic plague

An Oregon resident was recently infected with bubonic plague, marking the state’s first known case of the illness in nearly a decade. The person likely contracted the disease from a pet cat, public health officials said.  

Many people have likely heard the bubonic plague referred to as the “black death,” a pandemic of the disease that killed an estimated 50 million people in Europe during the 14th century. 

The confirmed case in Oregon drew fearful responses from some people on social media and left others wondering if there is a treatment for the bubonic plague. 

THE QUESTION

Is there a treatment for the bubonic plague?

THE SOURCES

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Mayo Clinic
• Cleveland Clinic

THE ANSWER

Yes, the bubonic plague is treated with antibiotics. 

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WHAT WE FOUND

Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) bacteria that can infect rodents, some other animals and people. People usually get the plague when they are bitten by a flea that is infected with the bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There are three types of plague: bubonic (which causes swelling of the lymph nodes), septicemic (which occurs when plague bacteria multiply in the bloodstream) and pneumonic (which affects the lungs). Bubonic plague is the “most common” and “most survivable” form, the Cleveland Clinic says, but the disease can be fatal if left untreated.

Antibiotic treatment for the plague usually begins as soon as a health care provider suspects a person has the disease, according to the CDC and Mayo Clinic. 

That’s because people with the plague have the best chance of getting better if they start taking antibiotics within 24 hours of developing symptoms, the Cleveland Clinic says. A person who receives quick antibiotic treatment has a 95% chance of recovering from the bubonic plague, according to the health care system. 

The Mayo Clinic says common antibiotics that may be used to treat plague include gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and chloramphenicol. 

While the bubonic plague is treatable, a vaccine is not currently available in the U.S. In other areas of the world, a vaccine is available only to people who have high exposure to the plague because of their job, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Human plague cases are scarce in the U.S., with an average of seven reported each year in recent decades, according to the CDC. Human-to-human transmission of the bubonic plague in particular is also rare, the World Health Organization says.

Symptoms of bubonic plague and recovery time

Symptoms of bubonic plague include sudden high fever and chills, headache, weakness, pain in the abdomen, arms and legs, and large, swollen lymph nodes called buboes that leak pus, the CDC and Cleveland Clinic say.

To definitively diagnose plague, a person’s blood or tissue sample tests will be sent to a laboratory to look for signs of the Y. pestis bacteria.

A person who is treated for the plague will usually feel better in a week or two, though the buboes from bubonic plague might take a few weeks to go away, the Cleveland Clinic says. 

If bubonic plague isn’t treated, it can lead to infection throughout the body with septicemic plague or infection in your lungs with pneumonic plague. Both of these diseases are often fatal without treatment.

Pneumonic plague is the “least common and most dangerous type of plague,” the Cleveland Clinic says. 

How people can protect themselves from the plague

The CDC says human plague usually occurs in areas where the bacteria are present in wild rodent populations. 

People can reduce their risk of plague by avoiding flea bites and being careful around animals that might be infected.

Some tips from the Cleveland Clinic to reduce your risk include: 

• Clearing piles of brush, wood, trash or other places where wild animals might make a home. Don’t leave pet food out or feed wild animals.
• Wearing bug spray with DEET.
• Asking your pet’s veterinarian how to prevent fleas. Dogs and cats can spread plague.
• Wearing gloves if you have to handle animals that could be infected. This includes living and dead animals.
• If you live in an area with plague, don’t let your pets roam free outside.