A patient shows symptoms like fever, cough, and gastrointestinal distress, but lacks buboes. What is the likely form of plague?

The symptoms described—fever, cough, and gastrointestinal distress—without the presence of buboes, suggest that the patient is experiencing pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague primarily affects the lungs and is characterized by respiratory symptoms such as cough and fever. Unlike bubonic plague, which typically presents with swollen lymph nodes (buboes), pneumonic plague involves the respiratory system and can lead to severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing and chest pain.

While septicemic plague can also occur and may present with systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal issues, it is characterized by bacteria entering the bloodstream, often causing more generalized sepsis rather than respiratory symptoms like a cough. Hemorrhagic plague, which is not commonly recognized as a standalone type of plague, typically involves bleeding manifestations, which are not indicated in this case.

Thus, the combination of respiratory symptoms alongside the absence of buboes aligns specifically with pneumonic plague.