The plague is an infection caused by Yersinia pestis, a type of bacteria. During the Middle Ages, more than one-third of people in Europe were killed by this disease.
The plague, also called Black Death, is much less common today but is still found in rural parts of Africa, Asia, and the United States. However, it is extremely rare in South Africa — the last documented case occurred in 1982.
Plague can be life-threatening or even fatal if untreated, but many therapies can help treat and cure this infection.
There are three main types of plague, which can lead to different symptoms:
If plague causes your skin to turn black, the tissue may die. Some people need to have fingers or toes amputated as a result of infection. Additionally, plague can make the tissue around your brain and spinal cord swell (meningitis), but this is rare.
The bacteria that cause plague live in small mammals such as mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits. Most often, people get plague from fleas. This can occur when fleas feed on infected animals and then bite a human.
You can also become infected with plague if you handle an infected animal. For example, you might come into contact with bacteria while dealing with an animal that you hunted. Alternatively, if you have a cat that eats an infected animal, your cat could pass plague on to you.
Finally, you can get plague from an infected person if they develop a lung infection (pneumonia). Those with pneumonic plague may produce droplets containing bacteria when they cough. If you spend a lot of time near someone with pneumonic plague, you may come into contact with these droplets and contract plague.
Your risk of developing plague is extremely low, especially if you live in a place where the infection is no longer found, including in South Africa. However, your risk of plague may increase if:
If you have buboes, your doctor may take a sample from these lumps to test for plague. Doctors can also test your blood or mucous from your lungs.
Plague is treated with aggressive antibiotics, which often work well to clear the infection. You will have a better chance of a cure if you get treated right away.
You will likely have to stay in the hospital while you are being treated. If you have pneumonic plague, doctors will isolate you from other patients so that you don’t spread the disease.
If you’re living in or visiting an area where plague-infected animals live, give your pets flea treatments and don’t let them sleep on your bed. Apply bug spray to yourself when you’re outside. Additionally, put on gloves any time you need to handle animals that could be infected.
If you think you have been exposed to plague, tell your doctor immediately. You may be able to quickly start taking antibiotics to kill any bacteria that may have entered your body.