Plague Transmission from Corpses and Carcasses

We examined 3 potential sources of infection: body fluids of living plague patients, infected corpses and carcasses, and body fluids of infected corpses. We concluded that pneumonic plague can be transmitted by intensive handling of the corpse or carcass, presumably through the inhalation of respiratory droplets, and that bubonic plague can be transmitted by blood-to-blood contact with the body fluids of a corpse or carcass. These findings should inform precautions taken by those handling the bodies of persons or animals that died of plague.PMID:34286686 | DOI:10.3201/eid2708.200136
Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research