Bubonic plague, biological warfare

Vaccines The currently available inactivated whole cell vaccine is not recommended for protection from a biological warfare agent since it does not protect laboratory animals from aerosolized plague. However, the vaccine is effective in preventing bubonic plague in persons in endemic or epidemic areas. 

In a biological warfare scenario, the plague bacteria could be delivered by contaminated fleas (bubonic plague) or, more likely, by aerosol spread (pneumonic plague). Pneumonic plague can be transmitted also by large aerosol droplets expelled by coughing. 

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