Emergency Preparedness Response Course (EPRC) Practice Test 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The correct choice is likely bubonic plague, characterized by its specific symptoms and clinical presentations. Bubonic plague is primarily caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted through flea bites or handling infected animals. The hallmark of this form of plague is the development of swollen and painful lymph nodes, known as buboes. These lymph nodes often ulcerate and can appear around areas where the patient was bitten by an infected flea, leading to the ulcerations mentioned in the question.

Fever and chills also accompany bubonic plague as the body reacts to the infection. The presence of these symptoms in conjunction with swollen lymph nodes strongly indicates this specific type of plague.

The other options differ in their symptomatology and modes of transmission. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and presents with respiratory symptoms, while septicemic plague is a more severe form that can occur as a complication of bubonic or pneumonic plague, resulting in systemic infection but without the localized buboes. Cutaneous plague, which is less common, is characterized by skin lesions but does not typically present with the swollen lymph nodes associated with bubonic plague. Thus, the clinical features align most closely with bubonic plague.