septicemic plague

noun

Pathology.

1. an especially dangerous form of plague in which the infecting organisms invade the bloodstream.

Word History and Origins

Origin of septicemic plague¹

septicem(ia) + -ic

Example Sentences

“The patient had septicemic plague, which is in the blood and cannot be spread to other people. The resident recovered, and no other cases were identified,” officials said.

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But the disease can lead to quick death if the bacteria infect the respiratory system or bloodstream in rarer conditions known as pneumonic and septicemic plague.

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There are three main types of plague in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague and septicemic plague.

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The bacterium that cause plague, Yersinia pestis, can cause several types of potentially fatal illnesses: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague and septicemic plague.

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But what made the germ -- which can trigger bubonic, pneumonic or septicemic plague -- so lethal?

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