Pneumonic plague

Legendary card · No. 527

Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Pneumonic plague is one of three forms of plague and the most deadly manifestation; the other two being bubonic plague and septicemic plague.The disease starts with unspecific symptoms including Influenza-like symptoms, fever or headache, muscle aches and malaise, that last 1-3 days. Then, it progresses rapidly to respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing up blood. This sputum is highly contagious. Symptoms typically start about three to seven days after exposure. Pneumonic plague is the only form of human-to-human transmission and occurs by inhalation of aerosolized respiratory droplets from infected patients or animals (airborne transmission). Secondary pneumonic plague may occur following an initial bubonic or septicemic plague infection. The factor that differs among the three forms of plague is the location of infection; in pneumonic plague the infection is in the lungs...

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