Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response

• Published in: MMWR. Recommendations and reports Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 1 - 26
• Main Authors: Nelson, Christina A., Meaney-Delman, Dana, Fleck-Derderian, Shannon, Cooley, Katharine M., Yu, Patricia A., Mead, Paul S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) 16.07.2021; U.S. Center for Disease Control; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antitoxins; Bacteria; Best practice; Biological & chemical terrorism; Biological & chemical weapons; Bioterrorism; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S; Decision making; Disease prevention; Epidemics; Fatalities; Fever; Guidelines; Health services; Hemorrhage; Humans; Infections; Literature reviews; Lymphatic system; Masks; Meningitis; Patients; Plague; Plague - epidemiology; Plague - prevention & control; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Prophylaxis; Public health; Recommendations and Reports; Sepsis; United States - epidemiology; United States; United States > US; China
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7003a1
• ISSN: 1057-5987; 1545-8601

This report provides CDC recommendations to U.S. health care providers regarding treatment, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and postexposure prophylaxis of plague. Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, leads to naturally occurring disease in the United States and other regions worldwide and is recognized as a potential bioterrorism weapon. A bioweapon attack with Y. pestis could potentially infect thousands, requiring rapid and informed decision making by clinicians and public health agencies. The U.S. government stockpiles a variety of medical countermeasures to mitigate the effects of a bioterrorism attack (e.g., antimicrobials, antitoxins, and vaccines) for which the 21st Century Cures Act mandates the development of evidence-based guidelines on appropriate use. Guidelines for treatment and postexposure prophylaxis of plague were published in 2000 by a nongovernmental work group; since then, new human clinical data, animal study data, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of additional countermeasures have become available. To develop a comprehensive set of updated guidelines, CDC conducted a series of systematic literature reviews on human treatment of plague and other relevant topics to collect a broad evidence base for the recommendations in this report. Evidence from CDC reviews and additional sources were presented to subject matter experts during a series of forums. CDC considered individual expert input while developing these guidelines, which provide recommended best practices for treatment and prophylaxis of human plague for both naturally occurring disease and following a bioterrorism attack. The guidelines do not include information on diagnostic testing, triage decisions, or logistics involved in dispensing medical countermeasures. Clinicians and public health officials can use these guidelines to prepare their organizations, hospitals, and communities to respond to a plague mass-casualty event and as a guide for treating patients affected by plague.