Plague Information

On this page:

Fact Sheets, Overviews, & FAQs

Video: "The History of Bioterrorism: Plague"
Describes the threat of plague as a weapon of bioterrorism
Dec 23, 2003
FAQ About Plague as a Bioweapon
Facts About Pneumonic Plague
General Q & A About Plague
(As Related to Naturally Occurring Disease) Provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC
CDC Plague Home Page (Naturally Occurring Disease)
Site provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC
Communicating in the First Hours: Plague
The First Hours project provides messages and other resources for federal, state, local, and tribal public health officials to use during a response to an emergency. Developed by CDC in collaboration with the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Consensus Statement: Plague as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management
JAMA 2000;283(17):2281-2290. See also the Abstract, a concise, bulleted summary of the full article.

Plague: Diagnosis
From the CDC Plague Home Page, provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC
Bioterrorism Readiness Plan: A Template for Healthcare Facilities (1.5 MB/34 pages)
See Section II: Agent-Specific Recommendations, Plague; pages 19-25.

Plague: Prevention & Control
From the CDC Plague Home Page, provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC
Community-Based Mass Prophylaxis: A Planning Guide for Public Health Preparedness
Planning guide to help state, county, & local officials meet federal requirements to prepare for public health emergencies. Outlines five components of mass prophylaxis response to epidemic outbreaks. Addresses dispensing operations using a comprehensive operational structure for Dispensing/Vaccination Centers (DVCs) based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). (Developed by Weill Medical College of Cornell University for the Agency of Healthcare Research & Quality [AHRQ].)
Recognition of Illness Associated with the Intentional Release of a Biologic Agent
MMWR 2001 Oct 19;50(41):893-897.
PDF (168 KB/20 pages)
Bioterrorism Readiness Plan: A Template for Healthcare Facilities (1.5 MB/34 pages)
See Section II: Agent-Specific Recommendations, Plague; pages 19-25.

Basic Protocols for Level A Laboratories for the Presumptive Identification of Yersinia pestis (292 KB/8 pages)
NOTE: Protocols for sentinel laboratories are no longer posted on the CDC website. The American Society for Microbiology has agreed to take the lead in the development & dissemination of sentinel laboratory information. Information for reference laboratories will continue to be available on the Laboratory Response Network secure website (for questions, e-mail lrn@cdc.gov; tollfree HelpDesk 1-866-LRN-LABS [1-866-576-5227]). The CDC subject matter experts on individual organisms remain available for discussion as always.
Recognition of Illness Associated with the Intentional Release of a Biologic Agent
MMWR 2001 Oct 19;50(41):893-897.
PDF (168 KB/20 pages)

Plague Training Module
Eight-lesson Web-based module designed to teach you about the natural epidemiology of plague & how to manage it as both a natural disease & an intentional attack
Video: "The History of Bioterrorism: Plague"
Describes the threat of plague as a weapon of bioterrorism
Dec 23, 2003
Medical Aspects of Chemical & Biological Warfare: Chapter 23: Plague (267 KB/24 pages)
Walter Reed Army Medical Center. On U.S. Army Medical NBC Online Information Server.
Plague Manual: Epidemiology, Distribution, Surveillance & Control
Communicable Surveillance & Response (CSR), World Health Organization. On their site
Imported Plague --- New York City, 2002
MMWR 2001 Aug 8;52(31);725-728.
PDF (587 KB/37 pages)
Plague: Scientific Literature
From the CDC Plague Home Page, provided by the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, NCID, CDC