septicemic plague

Septicemic plague is a severe form of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It occurs when the bacteria enter the bloodstream directly or as a complication of bubonic or pneumonic plague. This form of plague is marked by fatigue, fever, and internal bleeding. In untreated cases, septicemic plague can lead to death rapidly, sometimes before other symptoms of plague appear.1

While bubonic plague is the most common form, characterized by swollen lymph nodes (buboes), and pneumonic plague affects the lungs, septicemic plague signifies a widespread infection throughout the body via the bloodstream. Modern antibiotics, such as streptomycin, are effective treatments, significantly reducing the historical fatality rate of plague, which once ranged from 50% to 90%.21