A patient is exhibiting the following symptoms fever cough dyspnea prominent gastrointestinal absence of buboes. Which form plague responsible?
The symptoms described, including fever, cough, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), prominent gastrointestinal symptoms, and the absence of buboes, suggest that the patient may have pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague is a severe and rapidly progressive form of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is primarily transmitted through the inhalation of infectious droplets from an infected person or animal.
Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can lead to rapidly developing pneumonia, characterized by fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, can also occur in pneumonic plague. In contrast to bubonic plague, which is characterized by the presence of swollen lymph nodes (buboes), pneumonic plague typically does not cause prominent buboes.
Given the patient's symptoms and the absence of buboes, pneumonic plague is the most likely form of plague responsible for their condition. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antibiotics are crucial in cases of pneumonic plague, as it can progress rapidly and become life-threatening.
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