Is there still plague now?

Plague was once a very rampant disease. It broke out many times before China was liberated. Once someone was infected, the mortality rate was very high. Plague is spread by fleas on rats. This highly contagious disease can cause fever, severe toxemia, swollen lymph nodes, pneumonia and other symptoms after infection, and is extremely harmful. So, is there still plague now? How should we prevent plague?

Yes, but very few people get it because people’s living environment is better now and their awareness of hygiene is stronger. Plague is not directly transmitted to humans by rats. It is usually spread among rats first, and then the infected rats or fleas bite people, causing the disease. This is bubonic plague. The plague bacillus continues to exist and has not been eradicated. It is also difficult to eliminate. Many wild mice carry this fungus, and being bitten by them will not necessarily cause illness. This also depends on personal physical fitness and other factors. If plague occurs and is not treated, it may lead to human pneumonic plague, which would be serious. Because pneumonic plague can be transmitted through airborne droplets. It's hard to guard against. But few people get it now.

Plague prevention

1. Strictly control the source of infection

(1) When managing patients, if a suspected or confirmed patient is found, the epidemic situation should be reported immediately via emergency telephone and Internet, within 2 hours in cities and 6 hours in rural areas. At the same time, the patients are strictly isolated, and visitors and interactions between patients are prohibited. The patient's excrement should be thoroughly disinfected, and the patient's death should be cremated or buried deeply. Patients with pneumonic plague must be strictly isolated to prevent airborne transmission.

(2) Eliminate animal sources of infection, conduct epidemic monitoring of plague among rodents in natural foci, control plague among rodents, and widely carry out patriotic health campaigns to eliminate rodents.

2. Cut off the transmission route

(1) To eliminate fleas, safe and effective insecticides should be sprayed on the body and clothing of the patient to kill fleas. The flea elimination must be thorough, and cats, dogs, livestock, etc. should also be sprayed with pesticides.

(2) Strengthening transportation and quarantine. Foreign ships, vehicles, and aircraft from epidemic sources should be subject to strict border health quarantine, and rat and flea extermination and disinfection should be implemented, and passengers should be isolated and inspected.

3. Protect vulnerable people

(1) Protect contacts by avoiding contact with fleas during an epidemic. Contacts of patients with bubonic plague should be treated with appropriate insecticides to kill fleas. All contacts should be evaluated for the need for preventive antibiotic medication. Contacts with suspected or confirmed patients with pneumonic plague should be treated with tetracycline or chloramphenicol, taken in four divided doses for one week from the last contact. Sulfadiazine can also be taken orally; in addition, ciprofloxacin is also sensitive to Yersinia pestis.

(2) Vaccination: When an epidemic begins among rats, residents in the epidemic area and its surrounding areas, as well as staff entering the epidemic area, should all be vaccinated. The commonly used method is the dry live bacterial vaccine of EV avirulent strain, which is inoculated by skin scratch method, that is, 2 drops of bacterial liquid are placed 3 to 4 cm apart. Immunity is obtained after 2 weeks. The current vaccines still cannot provide long-term immune protection against bubonic plague and pneumonic plague. Therefore, it is generally administered once a year, and again after 6 months if necessary. The newly developed 06173 vaccine in my country produces F1 antibodies after immunizing animals, which is 1 times more effective than the EV strain.

(3) Personal protection for medical personnel Medical personnel entering the epidemic area must be vaccinated and can only enter the epidemic area two weeks later. When working, you must wear protective clothing, masks, hats, gloves, glasses, rubber shoes and isolation gowns.