Pneumonic Plague
Pneumonic plague is plague involving the lungs and is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is a severe form of plague that requires prompt medical evaluation and antibiotic treatment.
What is pneumonic plague?
Pneumonic plague occurs when Yersinia pestis infects the lungs. It can develop when another form of plague spreads to the lungs or after inhalation of infectious respiratory particles from a person or animal with pneumonic plague. WHO and CDC describe it as the form of plague capable of person-to-person respiratory spread during close contact.
Symptoms and incubation
Symptoms can develop rapidly and may include fever, weakness, headache and rapidly developing pneumonia with cough, chest pain or shortness of breath. WHO notes that the incubation period for primary pneumonic plague can be very short. Because the illness can progress quickly, suspected exposure or compatible symptoms require urgent professional medical assessment.
How pneumonic plague spreads
Person-to-person transmission requires exposure to infectious respiratory droplets or particles from someone with pneumonic plague, generally through close contact. Plague can also be acquired through infected fleas or contact with infected animals; those routes more commonly lead to other clinical forms before possible secondary lung involvement.
Pneumonic vs. bubonic and septicemic plague
Bubonic plague primarily involves the lymphatic system and typically produces swollen, painful lymph nodes called buboes. Septicemic plague involves infection in the bloodstream. Pneumonic plague involves the lungs and is the form associated with person-to-person respiratory transmission. More than one form can occur during the course of an infection.
Diagnosis and treatment
Plague is treatable with antibiotics, and early treatment is important. Diagnosis is made by qualified health professionals using the clinical picture, exposure history and appropriate laboratory testing. This page is general reference information and does not provide diagnosis, individualized treatment instructions or exposure assessment.
Medical notice: Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to plague or has concerning symptoms should seek prompt professional medical care and follow local public-health guidance.
Current pneumonic plague monitoring
Plague Outbreak Map monitors source-backed current reports and keeps confirmed, suspected and unverified information separate. A monitored mention of pneumonic plague does not automatically affect confirmed statistics. See the Live Plague Outbreak Map for the current published situation and Data Sources & Verification Methodology for the publication rules.
Authoritative medical references
For clinical and public-health guidance, use primary health-authority sources. These references provide broader information on plague, symptoms, transmission and prevention.