Plague Treatment

If doctors suspect a patient may have plague, all health care personnel take precautions. They wear goggles, gloves, gowns, and possibly masks.

• Patients are isolated and all precautions taken not to infect others. Some patients may need help breathing and are given oxygen. They are kept away from others for 2-3 days after antibiotic treatment has started or until the infection is cleared.
• Most patients experience some degree of septic shock (blood infection/poisoning), and specialists monitor this closely in an intensive care unit.
• Medical management of plague can involve a number of medications. Antibiotics must be given early. These might include streptomycin sulfate in combination with tetracycline and other antibiotics.