High fever, chills, headache, hemoptysis, and toxemia, progressing rapidly to dyspnea, stridor, and cyanosis. Death from respiratory failure, circulatory collapse, and a bleeding diathesis. Bubonic plague incubates 2-10 days. Plague bacilli may also be cultured on standard media. Early administration of antibiotics is very effective.
Supportive therapy is required.
A licensed, killed vaccine is available. Give 3 booster doses at 6 month intervals following dose 3 of the primary series then every 1-2 years. This vaccine is effective against bubonic plague, but probably not against aerosol exposure. Droplet Precautions for healthcare workers exposed to pneumonic plague. Fleas which live on the rodents can sometimes pass the bacteria to human beings, who then suffer from the bubonic form of plague.