Plague is a severe epidemic disease transmitted from animals to humans, caused by a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis. This bacterium usually lives in small rodents such as rat fleas, and when infected rat fleas bite and release the bacteria, the bitten person can become ill with the plague.
Symptoms indicating plague can be divided into 3 types according to the symptoms as follows:
1. Bubonic Plague
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- Sudden fever and chills
- Headache, fatigue
- Swollen, painful, or tender lymph nodes at least at one site on the body, about the size of a chicken egg
2. Pneumonic Plague
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- Cough, fatigue, headache, fever
- Nausea, vomiting
- Rapid pneumonia, shallow breathing, chest pain
- Some cases may have runny nose or bloody nasal discharge
- Respiratory failure or shock can occur within 2 days after infection
3. Septicemic Plague
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- Fever, chills, severe fatigue
- Shock, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting
- Bleeding on the skin and other organs in the body
- Some body tissues may die and turn black (Gangrene)
Plague Treatment Steps
- If symptoms resembling this disease are suspected, see a doctor immediately
- Promptly culture blood and pus from lymph nodes
- Administer antibiotics before culture results are known
- Those who have been in contact with patients must be quarantined for observation and given preventive antibiotics
“Plague” can be prevented by these methods
- Dispose of garbage in tightly closed containers to prevent accumulation, which is a food source for rats
- Do not touch sick or dead animals; if necessary, wear rubber gloves
- If you have pets, use flea control medication regularly
- Do not sleep with free-roaming pets, as they can be infected by plague bacteria or fleas living on the pets
- Be especially cautious when children or adults go outside, especially in areas with outbreaks, and avoid close contact with rodents
