Section 690.570  Plague (Reportable by telephone immediately, within three hours upon initial clinical suspicion of the disease)

a)         Control of Case

1)         Cases, their clothing, their living quarters and any pets shall be treated to eliminate fleas.

2)         The Department will refer information about animal contacts to the Illinois Department of Agriculture or the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for follow-up.

b)         Control of Contacts

1)         Contacts to pneumonic plague cases shall be offered chemoprophylaxis and monitored daily for seven days by the local health authority or other designated individual (e.g., congregate care staff or hospital personnel).

2)         Contacts to bubonic plague shall be monitored daily for seven days by the local health authority or other designated individual (e.g., congregate care staff or hospital personnel) for evidence of illness and may be offered chemoprophylaxis if likely to have been exposed to a primary source such as rodent fleas.

c)         Laboratory Reporting

1)         Laboratories shall report to the local health authority patients from whom Yersinia pestis is cultured or patients who have a positive result on any other laboratory test indicative of and specific for detecting Yersinia pestis infection.

2)         Laboratories shall forward clinical materials that are suspect or confirmed positive for Yersinia pestis to the Department's laboratory.

3)         Laboratories shall report any Yersinia pestis isolates from animals or the environment during an individual case or outbreak investigation.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 4098, effective February 27, 2024)