Plague Is Trending: What Does Plague Look Like on the Skin?

Plague is back in the news, but what does plague actually look like? Dermatologist Dr. Dray explains the skin signs and symptoms of plague, including the classic buboes of bubonic plague, skin lesions from flea bites, purpura and gangrene associated with septicemic plague, and the serious respiratory symptoms of pneumonic plague. Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Although plague is often associated with the Black Death and medieval history, human cases still occur today. Dr. Dray explains how plague is transmitted, the differences between bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague, how doctors diagnose and treat the infection, and what the skin can reveal about this potentially life-threatening disease. The video also discusses the recent news surrounding a laboratory worker in Siberia who died from severe pneumonia. Plague has not been confirmed as the cause, and a suspected case should not be confused with a confirmed plague outbreak. In this video, Dr. Dray discusses: • What causes plague and how Yersinia pestis spreads • How people can become infected through flea bites and animal exposure • Bubonic plague and the characteristic painful swollen lymph nodes called buboes • Skin lesions that can occur at the site of an infected flea bite • Septicemic plague, including purpura and gangrene • Pneumonic plague and its respiratory symptoms • How a dermatologist may recognize possible plague • How plague is diagnosed • Antibiotic treatment f