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:
Treatment for plague is a strong antibiotic. There is no vaccine for plague.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
---|---|---|
Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
|
Also available in Spanish
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Also available in Spanish
Home | Health Topics | Drugs & Supplements | Encyclopedia | Dictionary | News | Directories | Other Resources | |
Copyright | Privacy | Accessibility | Quality Guidelines U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health | Department of Health & Human Services |
Date last updated: 10 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 26 May 2008 |