Plague can be controlled by the following methods:
(i) Early diagnosis and compulsory notification.
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(ii) Isolate the patient and attendants should wear face mask.
(iii) Ensure domestic and community hygiene.
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(iv) Garbage must be disposed of at designated places and should not be allowed to pile up.
(v) Keep all food articles covered.
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(vi) Adopt anti-rat measures. Houses should be rat proof. Doors and windows should be tight-fitting. All outlets of drains should be covered with a wire mesh. All rat burrows in the house and surroundings should be plugged. Rats should be trapped or killed with rat poisons.
(vii) Kerosene oil should be put on the dead rats so as to eliminate rat fleas. The carcass should be disposed of in a sanitary method. Rat fleas can also be controlled or destroyed by the spray of DDT and BHC.
(viii) Unusual death of rats should be immediately reported to nearby health authorities.
(ix) Persons with high fever, enlargement of glands, cough with blood in sputum, chest pain and difficulty in breathing should report immediately to nearest health institutions and do not leave the hospital till cured.
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(x) Watch out for the above symptoms in persons returning from plague infected areas.
(xi) Do not travel to plague hit areas unless it is absolutely necessary to go there.
(xii) Do not sleep on the floor.
(xiii) Do not panic and do not spread rumours.
(xiv)Do not indulge in self-medication and shun quackery.
(xv)Public should be immunised with plague vaccine.
(xvi)Dead bodies of plague hit persons should be handled with care,
(xvii)Public should be given health education.