Plague, a bacterial infectious disease, is life-threatening. Therefore, prompt treatment is crucial to avoid life-threatening complications. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can cure plague. Untreated plague can spread to the bloodstream, causing septicemic plague, or to the lungs, causing pneumonic plague. In untreated cases, death can occur within 24 hours of the first symptom. Treatment typically involves strong antibiotics. Intravenous fluids, oxygen, and sometimes respiratory support are also provided. Healthcare workers take strict precautions to prevent infection and transmission. Treatment continues for several weeks after the fever subsides. Patients with pneumonic plague are isolated from others. Anyone who has contact with a pneumonic plague patient is also monitored and usually given prophylactic antibiotics.