There are different symptoms of the plague for each of the three types: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. However, common symptoms include fever, cough, and headaches. In most cases, symptoms of the plague tend to develop within one to six days of being infected with the bacteria that causes it. If the symptoms are not recognized and treated quickly, death can occur.
Symptoms of the Plague: An Overview
When a person becomes infected with the bacteria that cause
plague (
Yersinia pestis), the bacteria begin to multiply. Symptoms of the plague can occur within one to six days of being infected. The period between becoming infected and the start of plague symptoms is called the
plague incubation period. If they are not treated quickly, symptoms of the plague can rapidly worsen, and death may occur.
There are three types of plague:
There are different symptoms for each plague type. Furthermore, it is possible for a person to have symptoms of only one type; it is also possible for a person to experience symptoms from each of the types. For example, a person may first develop
symptoms of bubonic plague, followed several days later by symptoms of septicemic plague, then symptoms of pneumonic plague.
Symptoms of the Plague: Bubonic Plague
- Headache
- Buboes (tender, enlarged lymph nodes under the armpits or in the neck or groin, ranging in size from 1 to 10 cm., and found in 70 percent of patients)
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Decreased appetite
- Tiny broken blood vessels (called petechiae)
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Chills
- Diarrhea, which may be bloody.
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