Plague (disease)

Legendary card · No. 2084

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache and black lips. Usually, this begins one to seven days after exposure. There are three forms of plague, each affecting a different part of the body and causing associated symptoms. Pneumonic plague infects the lungs, causing shortness of breath, coughing and chest pain; bubonic plague affects the lymph nodes, making them swell; and septicemic plague infects the blood and can cause necrosis of tissues. The bubonic and septicemic forms are generally spread by flea bites or handling an infected animal, whereas pneumonic plague is generally spread between people through the air via infectious droplets. Diagnosis is typically made by finding the bacterium in fluid from a lymph node, blood or sputum. Vaccination is recommended only for people at high risk of exposure to plague. Those exposed to a case of pneumonic plague may be treated with preventive medication. If infected, treatment...

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