Plague

Plague is mostly a zoonotic bacterial infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and is transmitted to humans and animals through bites by infected fleas. Person to person infection can occur through respiratory secretions. Rapid diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics is imperative since untreated infection has a high mortality rate. The Plague vaccine is no longer commercially available.

Most travellers are not at risk from the Plague, however, persons who may be occupationally exposed to wild rodents (anthropologists, archeologists, geologists, spelunkers) or hunters, hikers, and campers in endemic areas must avoid contact with rodents.

Risk of Plague is present in the following countries:



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