Plague Is Trending: What Does Plague Look Like on the Skin?

Dr. Andrea Suarez, dermatologist, gets serious:

The plague doctor is in

The plague is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which continues to circulate and causes an estimated 1,000–3,000 human cases internationally each year.

There are different kinds, though:

• Bubonic plague: the most common form typically develops 2–6 days after infection, causing fever, headache, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, muscle and joint aches, and profound fatigue, along with a dramatically swollen, red, warm and tender lymph node called a bubo, most often in the groin, neck or armpit.
• Septicemic plague: this form occurs when the bacteria enter the bloodstream, sometimes without preceding swollen lymph nodes, and can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation, large red-purple skin patches called purpura, gangrene, dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure.
• Pneumonic plague: this form affects the lungs and can develop when plague spreads from another part of the body or when respiratory droplets from an infected person are inhaled; symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, profound fatigue, coughing up blood and rapidly worsening breathing difficulties.

In terms of treatment and prognosis, antibiotics can treat plague, but prompt treatment is essential; pneumonic plague requires isolation and will often require intensive care, while severely ulcerated or necrotic tissue around affected lymph nodes can often need surgical treatment.

This is important, because untreated bubonic plague has a reported fatality rate of approximately 50–60%, while septicemic and pneumonic plague are also highly dangerous and can remain fatal despite appropriate antibiotic treatment.

For more on all of this plus some visual illustrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!