Bubonic plague secondary prevention

Prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics
Health authorities advise that antibiotics        be given for a brief period to people who have been exposed to the bites         of potentially infected rodent fleas (for example, during a plague outbreak)         or who have handled an animal known to be infected with the plague bacterium. Such experts also recommend that antibiotics be given if a person has        had close exposure to a person or an animal (for example, a house cat)         with suspected plague pneumonia.

Persons who must be        present in an area where a plague outbreak is occurring can protect themselves         for 2 to 3 weeks by taking antibiotics. The preferred antibiotics for        prophylaxis against plague are the tetracyclines or the sulfonamides.