Treatment of the Bubonic Plague

Treatment of the bubonic plague usually includes antibiotics, such as streptomycin or gentamycin. Because the bacteria that causes plague can quickly multiply and spread throughout the body, possibly causing septicemic plague or pneumonic plague, prompt treatment is essential. Furthermore, anyone who has been in close contact with the patient should be evaluated and administered treatment of the bubonic plague, if necessary.

All About Bubonic Plague

Treatment of the Bubonic Plague: An Overview

When an infection with the bacteria that causes plague (Yersinia pestis) is suspected, the person is often hospitalized and placed in isolation. Even before lab tests come back, treatment of the bubonic plague will be started, typically involving antibiotics. People who have been in close contact with an infected person should be identified and evaluated.

Antibiotics as Treatment of the Bubonic Plague

Some antibiotics used for treatment of the bubonic plague include:

Gentamycin
Streptomycin.

Other antibiotics, including tetracyclines and chloramphenicol, can also be effective.

Treatment of the Bubonic Plague for Close Contacts

Individuals who are closely associated with the patient should be identified, traced, and evaluated. These contacts should be placed under observation or given preventive antibiotic therapy, depending on the degree and timing of contact.

How Treatment of the Bubonic Plague Affects Prognosis

If bubonic plague is left untreated, the bacteria can quickly multiply in the bloodstream, possibly causing septicemic plague or pneumonic plague. The plague mortality rate is 50 to 90 percent without treatment; with treatment, the plague mortality rate is 15 percent.