Table 2. Public health risk–based recommendations and interventions for persons exposed to dog with pneumonic plague, Colorado, USA*.

Level of interaction with dog	Recommended intervention	No. (%) contacts reporting intervention
Exposure (<6 feet) to dog with pneumonic plague; exposure to exudates, blood, or tissue without barrier precautions; bite or scratch from infected dog or flea	Antimicrobial drug prophylaxis	68 (59)†
Presence in critical care ward where dog was housed; exposure or contact after 48 h of appropriate patient antimicrobial drug treatment	Fever and symptom watch	38 (33)
Persons who did not meet the above criteria	No action (awareness education only)	Remainder of employees, staff, and students

*Ten (8%) of 116 listed contacts did not report chosen intervention.
†Of respondents who specified type of antimicrobial drug therapy received, 37 received doxycycline only, 2 doxycycline and gentamicin, 1 doxycycline and ciprofloxacin, 1 doxycycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and 1 ciprofloxacin only.