The typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen
and very tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain. The swollen gland
is called a "bubo." Bubonic plague should be suspected
when a person develops a swollen gland, fever, chills, headache,
and extreme exhaustion, and has a history of possible exposure
to infected rodents, rabbits, or fleas. A person usually becomes
ill
with bubonic plague 2 to 6 days after being infected.
When bubonic plague is left untreated, plague bacteria invade
the bloodstream. As the plague bacteria multiply in the bloodstream,
they spread rapidly throughout the body and cause a severe and
often fatal condition. Infection of the lungs with the plague bacterium
causes the pneumonic form of plague, a severe respiratory illness.
The infected person may experience high fever, chills, cough, and
breathing difficulty and may expel bloody sputum. If plague patients
are not given specific antibiotic therapy, the disease can progress
rapidly to death.
