# Plague Map

> Independent, source-linked public information about plague events, natural foci, historical outbreaks and data methodology. Plague Map is not an official surveillance system and does not provide medical advice.

Plague Map separates event phase, case confirmation and individual claim status. Null values mean unknown or not reported, never zero. Map coordinates are approximate public-report locations, not patient addresses or exposure boundaries.

## Primary navigation

- [Outbreak Map](https://plaguemap.org/map): Interactive and accessible table views of human events and natural foci.
- [News](https://plaguemap.org/updates): Dated, source-linked event updates.
- [Countries](https://plaguemap.org/countries): Country summaries drawn from the recorded dataset.
- [Plague Guide](https://plaguemap.org/about-plague): Symptoms, transmission, prevention and frequently asked questions.
- [Data Sources](https://plaguemap.org/sources): Source hierarchy, editorial use and limitations.
- [Methodology](https://plaguemap.org/methodology): Data definitions, verification process and revision principles.
- [Open Data](https://plaguemap.org/data): Field definitions and downloadable JSON/CSV exports.

## Current and historical event files

- [Irkutsk pneumonia event under monitoring](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/irkutsk-2026): Russian authorities have ruled out plague. WHO found no evidence of ongoing transmission, but confidence remains limited because the cause, source and mode of exposure are still undetermined. Data through 2026-10-12; editorial review 2026-10-14.
- [DR Congo Ituri plague upsurge](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/drc-ituri-2020): Historical event documented by WHO Disease Outbreak News. Data through 2020-07-15; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Madagascar plague outbreak](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/madagascar-2017): Historical, contained event. Data through 2017-11-27; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Madagascar plague event, 2014](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/madagascar-2014): Historical event. Data through 2014-11-16; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Himachal Pradesh pneumonic plague](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/india-himachal-2002): Historical, contained event. Data through 2002-02-19; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Surat plague outbreak](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/india-surat-1994): Historical event; figures are drawn from public historical sources. Data through 1994-10-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Los Angeles pneumonic plague outbreak](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/los-angeles-1924): Historical event. Data through 1925-01-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Manchurian pneumonic plague epidemic](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/manchuria-1910): Historical event; the death count is a historical estimate. Data through 1911-04-30; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Hong Kong plague outbreak](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/hong-kong-1894): Historical event. Data through 1894-12-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Great Plague of London](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/london-1665): Historical estimate. Data through 1666-12-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [The Black Death](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/black-death-1347): Historical estimate that should not be compared directly with modern surveillance data. Data through 1351-12-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.
- [Justinianic Plague](https://plaguemap.org/outbreaks/justinianic-plague): Historical estimate. Data through 0549-12-31; editorial review 2026-10-07.

## Editorial analysis

- [Bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic plague: the differences that matter](https://plaguemap.org/blog/bubonic-septicemic-pneumonic-plague): A source-reviewed comparison of the three main forms of plague, including symptoms, incubation, transmission, progression and why urgent care matters.
- [Where is plague found today? Endemic regions, natural foci and map limits](https://plaguemap.org/blog/where-is-plague-found-today): Where modern plague persists, which countries report most human cases, how natural foci differ from outbreaks and why maps never show the whole risk picture.
- [Russia plague reports: what is confirmed and what remains unknown](https://plaguemap.org/blog/russia-plague-reports): WHO’s formal 10 October update on the Irkutsk laboratory worker’s death, the negative plague tests and the questions that remain.
- [Where does plague still exist today?](https://plaguemap.org/blog/plague-never-left): Human cases are uncommon, but natural plague foci persist across several continents. Here is how to read that geography responsibly.
- [Why plague case counts differ between sources](https://plaguemap.org/blog/unknown-is-not-zero): Suspected, probable, confirmed and missing data describe different evidence states. Treating them as interchangeable changes the story.
- [Does quarantine mean a plague outbreak is confirmed?](https://plaguemap.org/blog/quarantine-and-confirmation): Why contact tracing, observation and temporary restrictions can begin before investigators know the final diagnosis.
- [Why does plague persist in Madagascar?](https://plaguemap.org/blog/madagascar-plague-ecology): Ecology, seasonality and human settlement combine to make Madagascar one of the world’s most important plague settings.
- [Plague in the United States: why the West matters](https://plaguemap.org/blog/plague-american-west): How plague moved from port-city rats into western wildlife and why modern US cases are usually rural and sporadic.
- [Beyond rats: the animals and fleas behind plague](https://plaguemap.org/blog/animals-fleas-plague-cycle): Plague ecology involves many mammal hosts and flea species. The familiar city rat is only one part of the system.
- [The Black Death and modern plague: what has changed?](https://plaguemap.org/blog/black-death-modern-plague): The bacterium remains, but diagnosis, antibiotics, surveillance and living conditions make the modern risk landscape fundamentally different.
- [The 1910–1911 Manchurian plague and Wu Lien-teh](https://plaguemap.org/blog/manchurian-plague-wu-lien-teh): A fast-moving pneumonic plague epidemic transformed outbreak control in northeast China and helped shape modern public health.
- [How to read a plague map without misreading the risk](https://plaguemap.org/blog/how-to-read-plague-map): A practical guide to event points, natural foci, dates, status labels and the uncertainty that every responsible map must preserve.

## Machine-readable resources

- [Outbreak dataset — JSON](https://plaguemap.org/api/v1/outbreaks.json)
- [Outbreak dataset — CSV](https://plaguemap.org/api/v1/outbreaks.csv)
- [WHO surveillance baseline — JSON](https://plaguemap.org/api/v1/who-cases.json)
- [Editorial update feed](https://plaguemap.org/rss.xml)
- [Blog feed](https://plaguemap.org/blog/rss.xml)
- [Extended AI reference](https://plaguemap.org/llms-full.txt)

## Languages

- [English](https://plaguemap.org/) is the default, unprefixed version.
- [简体中文](https://plaguemap.org/zh-cn) is available under /zh-cn/.

## Citation guidance

Cite the original source listed on each event or article whenever possible. Preserve the data-through date, editorial-review date, case definition and uncertainty statement. Do not infer that a missing report means zero cases.