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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Plague is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Plague
Also called: Bubonic plague, Pneumonic plague
Plague is an infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are found mainly in rats and in the fleas that feed on them. People and other animals can get plague from rat or flea bites. Historically, plague destroyed entire civilizations. In the 1300s, the "Black Death," as it was called, killed approximately one-third of Europe's population. Today plague is uncommon. This is largely due to better living conditions and antibiotics.
There are three forms of plague:
- Bubonic, which causes the tonsils, adenoids, spleen and thymus to become inflamed. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills and tender lymph glands
- Septicemic, in which bacteria multiply in the blood. It causes fever, chills, shock and bleeding under the skin or other organs
- Pneumonic, in which the bacteria enter the lungs and cause pneumonia. People with the infection can spread this form to others. This type could be a bioterror agent
Treatment for plague is a strong antibiotic. There is no vaccine for plague.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Plague(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Plague
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Overviews
- Plague(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Plague Information(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Prevention/Screening
- Plague: Prevention and Control(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Specific Conditions
- Bubonic Plague(Dept. of the Interior)
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Pneumonic Plague(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
- Plague and Animals(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Pictures & Photographs
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Bubonic Plague(Logical Images)
- Plague Images(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Plague(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Plague
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The nature of plague in late eighteenth-century Egypt.
- Article: Early-phase transmission of Yersinia pestis by cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis)...
- Article: Septicemic plague in a community hospital in California.
- Plague -- see more articles
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Organizations
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- World Health Organization
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Statistics
- Human Plague in 2002 and 2003(World Health Organization) - Links to PDF
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Date last updated: 10 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 26 May 2008 |