- Case Counts: Public Health Ontario. Query: Case counts of reportable diseases by public health unit and year. Toronto, ON: Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion; extracted on January 16, 2025.
- Population estimates: Statistics Canada 2014-2022, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Ministry of Health, extracted on April 23, 2024.
- Population projections: Statistics Canada, 2023, IntelliHEALTH Ontario, Ministry of Health, extracted on April 23, 2024.
Plague
Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. This disease can affect both animals and humans. There is only one cause of plague but there are three different symptoms depending on the form of plague. They are bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and pneumonic plague.
Bubonic plague is the most common form. It usually occurs from the bite of an infected flea that has fed on an infected rodent, such as a rat.
Septicemic plague can occur when the infection spreads through the blood. It causes general symptoms like bleeding and shock. This form is usually seen as a complication of bubonic plague.
Pneumonic plague is the most serious form of plague. It is also the least common. Most of the symptoms are due to the infection occurring in the lungs. It is the only form of plague that can be spread from person to person by droplets in the air. Symptoms of pneumonic plague can appear as soon as 1 day after the lungs are infected with the bacterium. Untreated pneumonic plague is almost always fatal.
Local Information
2024 Statistics
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases:
0*
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2024: 0
*Includes confirmed cases in 2024.
Incidence rate per 100,000 of Plague by year
Report to the Health Unit immediately by phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if plague is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7.
Should one go to childcare, school, or work if they have plague?
Exclusion and strict isolation are required for those with pneumonic plague until 48 hours of appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed, then return once feeling well enough to participate in regular activities. For other types of plague, contact the Health Unit.
At this time, there is no plague vaccine available in Canada for travellers.
Contact our Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229, or by email to cdc@healthunit.ca for more information.
Last updated: February 2025, by CDC