Symptoms your physician may observe If a person shows the symptoms described above and reports contact with rodents, plague is suspected. The physician will examine the blood and fluid from the lymph nodes. If the person is coughing, a chest X ray will be ordered. Plague is confirmed by the presence of plague bacteria. Treatment options Antibiotics effectively treat plague if it is diagnosed early enough.
Most fatalities occur after plague bacteria have gotten into the lungs .
Stages and progress Two to six days after plague bacteria get into the body the first symptoms appear. Fever , fatigue , and headache are followed by a painful swollen lymph gland, which is called a bubo. This is the bubonic plague stage. The bacteria spread rapidly and invade the bloodstream. Shock and bleeding can occur.