Treatment for Plague

Treatment for plague should be started, on an emergency basis, once the disease is detected.
Plague responds well to antibiotic therapy that kills the Yersinia pestis bacteria.
Antibiotic treatment should be commenced within 24 hours of the detection of the disease, as the fatality rate of the disease is quite high.
The common antibiotics used in the treatment of plague include streptomycin, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin.
Apart from the administration of antibiotics, oxygen and fluids administered intravenously to replenish electrolytes in the blood and support for labored breathing may also be used.
In specific cases of pneumonic plague, the physician may suggest isolation of the patient. This is done with the intention of preventing an epidemic outbreak of the disease.
Caregivers of the patient also need to be carefully watched for any signs of plague. If necessary, antibiotics may be prescribed to the caregivers as a step taken to prevent the infection.
In early days, cures for plague included confining the patient to bed and washing him in a solution of vinegar and rose water.
Extreme measures of cleanliness should be adopted.
Containing the disease before it spreads into an epidemic should be a high priority in the treatment and cure of plague.