Plague, unspecified

This code signifies a bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, and swollen, painful lymph nodes (buboes), or other systemic manifestations. It represents a severe, potentially fatal infectious disease that can present in bubonic, septicemic, or pneumonic forms.

Assign this code when the medical record documents a diagnosis of plague without further specification of the type (e.g., bubonic, septicemic, pneumonic). This is appropriate when the physician has confirmed plague but the specific clinical presentation or form is not yet determined or documented.

• Avoid using this code if a more specific type of plague (e.g., bubonic, pneumonic) is documented; use the appropriate subcategory code.
• Ensure documentation clearly states "plague" as the diagnosis.
• Consider Z20.810 (Contact with and exposure to anthrax and other bacterial diseases) if only exposure is documented, not confirmed infection.