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Integrative Zoology Nov 2021Plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, has several foci scattered throughout a large area from the Brazilian territory that ranges from the Northeastern State... (Review)
Review
Plague, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, has several foci scattered throughout a large area from the Brazilian territory that ranges from the Northeastern State of Ceará to the Southeastern State of Minas Gerais and another separated area at the State of Rio de Janeiro. This review gathers data from plague control and surveillance programs on the occurrence and geographic distribution of rodent hosts and flea vectors in the Brazilian plague areas during the period of from 1952 to 2019. Furthermore, we discuss how the interaction between Y. pestis and some rodent host species may play a role in the disease dynamics. The absence of human cases nowadays in Brazil does not mean that it was eradicated. The dynamics of plague in Brazil and in other countries where it was introduced during the 3rd pandemic are quite alike, alternating epidemics with decades of quiescence. Hence, it remains an important epidemic disease of global concern. The existence of a large animal reservoir and competent vectors demonstrate a need for continuous surveillance to prevent new outbreaks of this disease in humans.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Humans; Insect Vectors; Plague; Rodentia; Siphonaptera; Yersinia pestis; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32776421
DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12480 -
Resuscitation Jul 2022
Topics: Ethnicity; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Plague; Return of Spontaneous Circulation; United States; White People
PubMed: 35533895
DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2022.04.030 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Oct 2021We analyzed epidemiologic characteristics and distribution of 1,067 human plague cases and 5,958 Yersinia pestis isolates collected from humans, host animals, and insect... (Review)
Review
We analyzed epidemiologic characteristics and distribution of 1,067 human plague cases and 5,958 Yersinia pestis isolates collected from humans, host animals, and insect vectors during 1950-2019 in 4 Marmota plague foci in China. The case-fatality rate for plague in humans was 68.88%; the overall trend slowly decreased over time but fluctuated greatly. Most human cases (98.31%) and isolates (82.06%) identified from any source were from the Marmota himalayana plague focus. The tendency among human cases could be divided into 3 stages: 1950-1969, 1970-2003, and 2004-2019. The Marmota sibirica plague focus has not had identified human cases nor isolates since 1926. However, in the other 3 foci, Y. pestis continues to circulate among animal hosts; ecologic factors might affect local Y. pestis activity. Marmota plague foci are active in China, and the epidemic boundary is constantly expanding, posing a potential threat to domestic and global public health.
Topics: Animals; China; Humans; Insect Vectors; Marmota; Plague; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 34545784
DOI: 10.3201/eid2710.202239 -
Medical Anthropology May 2023I trace the development of the concept of sylvatic plague - the first sylvatic disease - examining its invention by Ricardo Jorge to describe a global phenomenon of...
I trace the development of the concept of sylvatic plague - the first sylvatic disease - examining its invention by Ricardo Jorge to describe a global phenomenon of plague reservoirs among wild rodents, and its circulation. The concept implied a space where plague was enzootic, and relied on a division between inhabited and uninhabited spaces and between domestic rats and wild rodents. Some of the characteristics of this space varied, but it always referred to places imagined as empty of humans and rats. In 1927, it designated ambiguously deserts, in 1935, uninhabited regions in general, and in Brazil, it referred to the jungle.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Humans; Plague; Yersinia pestis; Anthropology, Medical; Rodentia; Social Environment
PubMed: 36961521
DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2023.2189110 -
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences Dec 2020Plague is an infectious disease found worldwide and has been responsible for pandemics throughout history. Yersinia pestis, the causative bacterium, survives in rodent... (Review)
Review
Plague is an infectious disease found worldwide and has been responsible for pandemics throughout history. Yersinia pestis, the causative bacterium, survives in rodent hosts with flea vectors that also transmit it to humans. It has been endemic in Madagascar for a century but the 1990s saw major outbreaks and in 2006 the WHO described the plague as re-emerging in Madagascar and the world. This review highlights the variety of factors leading to plague re-emergence in Madagascar, including climate events, insecticide resistance, and host and human behaviour. It also addresses areas of concern for future epidemics and ways to mitigate these. Pinpointing and addressing current and future drivers of plague re-emergence in Madagascar will be essential to controlling future outbreaks both in Madagascar and worldwide.
Topics: Animals; Madagascar; Plague; Rodentia; Siphonaptera; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 33258957
DOI: 10.1042/ETLS20200334 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Nov 2021
Topics: Humans; Plague
PubMed: 34813209
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.21.0796 -
MMWR. Recommendations and Reports :... Jul 2021This report provides CDC recommendations to U.S. health care providers regarding treatment, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and postexposure prophylaxis of plague. Yersinia...
This report provides CDC recommendations to U.S. health care providers regarding treatment, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and postexposure prophylaxis of plague. Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, leads to naturally occurring disease in the United States and other regions worldwide and is recognized as a potential bioterrorism weapon. A bioweapon attack with Y. pestis could potentially infect thousands, requiring rapid and informed decision making by clinicians and public health agencies. The U.S. government stockpiles a variety of medical countermeasures to mitigate the effects of a bioterrorism attack (e.g., antimicrobials, antitoxins, and vaccines) for which the 21st Century Cures Act mandates the development of evidence-based guidelines on appropriate use. Guidelines for treatment and postexposure prophylaxis of plague were published in 2000 by a nongovernmental work group; since then, new human clinical data, animal study data, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of additional countermeasures have become available. To develop a comprehensive set of updated guidelines, CDC conducted a series of systematic literature reviews on human treatment of plague and other relevant topics to collect a broad evidence base for the recommendations in this report. Evidence from CDC reviews and additional sources were presented to subject matter experts during a series of forums. CDC considered individual expert input while developing these guidelines, which provide recommended best practices for treatment and prophylaxis of human plague for both naturally occurring disease and following a bioterrorism attack. The guidelines do not include information on diagnostic testing, triage decisions, or logistics involved in dispensing medical countermeasures. Clinicians and public health officials can use these guidelines to prepare their organizations, hospitals, and communities to respond to a plague mass-casualty event and as a guide for treating patients affected by plague.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bioterrorism; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; Humans; Plague; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; United States
PubMed: 34264565
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7003a1 -
Psychology, Health & Medicine Apr 2020Artistic representations of disease are widespread yet largely ignored in health psychology research. In this paper we use two infectious diseases, tuberculosis and the...
Artistic representations of disease are widespread yet largely ignored in health psychology research. In this paper we use two infectious diseases, tuberculosis and the plague, as tracers to study how infectious diseases are represented in novels, films, paintings, and songs. They were represented especially in terms of their causes and seriousness. Studying how diseases are represented in various art forms extends our understanding of how they are socially constructed. This knowledge can also be incorporated into the training of health care providers to sensitize them to issues in patient care.
Topics: Humans; Medicine in the Arts; Plague; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 31846361
DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2019.1705991 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2021As the reality of pandemic threats challenges humanity, exemplified during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infections, the development of vaccines targeting these etiological... (Review)
Review
As the reality of pandemic threats challenges humanity, exemplified during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infections, the development of vaccines targeting these etiological agents of disease has become increasingly critical. Of paramount concern are novel and reemerging pathogens that could trigger such events, including the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis is responsible for more human deaths than any other known pathogen and exists globally in endemic regions of the world, including the four corners region and Northern California in the USA. Recent cases have been scattered throughout the world, including China and the USA, with serious outbreaks in Madagascar during 2008, 2013-2014, and, most recently, 2017-2018. This review will focus on recent advances in plague vaccine development, a seemingly necessary endeavor, as there is no Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccine available for human distribution in western nations, and that antibiotic-resistant strains are recovered clinically or intentionally developed. Progress and recent development involving subunit, live-attenuated, and nucleic acid-based plague vaccine candidates will be discussed in this review. KEY POINTS: • Plague vaccine development remains elusive yet critical. • DNA, animal, and live-attenuated vaccine candidates gain traction.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial; COVID-19; China; Humans; Plague; Plague Vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccines, Attenuated; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 34142207
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11389-6 -
Disasters Jul 2024Breakthroughs in international biomedical science circa 1900 meant that plague could be contained through strict quarantine regulations. These measures were successfully...
Breakthroughs in international biomedical science circa 1900 meant that plague could be contained through strict quarantine regulations. These measures were successfully deployed with help from local governments during outbreaks of pneumonic plague in Manchuria (1910-11), Shanxi (1918), and elsewhere in North China. This containment shows the effectiveness of uniting international knowledge and local cooperation in disaster response. Yet, in later outbreaks in similar locations, control measures identical to those instituted a decade earlier were rejected, and plague spread largely unchecked. Historical case studies of the control and spread of infectious disease in North China reveal the complexities of the relationship between global knowledge and its broader, local integration, variation in what constitutes effective 'local' cooperation in adopting international knowledge, and the paramount importance of the locality to the landscape of disaster response. History can reveal critical issues in localisation of disaster response still salient today.
Topics: Plague; China; Humans; History, 20th Century; Disease Outbreaks; International Cooperation; Quarantine
PubMed: 38872583
DOI: 10.1111/disa.12629