-
Microbiology Spectrum Dec 2015Historically, the rat has been considered a scourge to mankind, for example, rats infected with the plague bacillus that caused the Black Death, which accounted for... (Review)
Review
Historically, the rat has been considered a scourge to mankind, for example, rats infected with the plague bacillus that caused the Black Death, which accounted for millions of deaths in Europe during the Middle Ages. At least three pandemics (in the 5th and 6th, 8th through 14th, and 19th through 21st centuries) of plague ravaged civilizations, and the disease undoubtedly plagued humankind prior to recorded history. Also, numerous other diseases are spread to humans by rats; thus, a quote from Hans Zinsser's text Rats, Lice, and History, "Man and rat will always be pitted against each other as implacable enemies," conveys the general revulsion that society holds for the wild rat.
Topics: Animals; Europe; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Plague; Rats; Yersinia pestis; Zoonoses
PubMed: 27337284
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.IOL5-0015-2015 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... 2000Plague is endemic in China, Mongolia, Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, large parts of Southern Africa, the United States and South America. There are three types of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Plague is endemic in China, Mongolia, Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, large parts of Southern Africa, the United States and South America. There are three types of vaccines (live attenuated, killed and F1 fraction) with varying means of administration.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of vaccines to prevent plague.
SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and reference lists of articles. We handsearched the journal 'Vaccine' and contacted experts in the field.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials comparing live and killed plague vaccines against no intervention, placebo, other plague vaccines or vaccines against other disease (control vaccines).
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Three reviewers assessed the eligibility of trials.
MAIN RESULTS
No trials were included.
REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
There is not enough evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of any plague vaccine, or the relative effectiveness between vaccines and their tolerability. Circumstantial data from observational studies suggest that killed types may be more effective and have fewer adverse effects than attenuated types of vaccine. No evidence appears to exist on the long-term effects of any plague vaccine.
Topics: Humans; Plague; Plague Vaccine; Vaccines, Attenuated; Vaccines, Inactivated
PubMed: 10796565
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000976 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Nov 2021
Topics: Humans; Plague
PubMed: 34813209
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.21.0796 -
Microbiology Spectrum Aug 2016The analysis of biological parameters such as age and sex is particularly relevant to the interpretation of ancient skeletal assemblages related to abrupt mortality... (Review)
Review
The analysis of biological parameters such as age and sex is particularly relevant to the interpretation of ancient skeletal assemblages related to abrupt mortality crises, and more particularly epidemics. In such a context, the mechanisms of selection within a population or part of a population differ according to the pathogen involved. They may also vary depending on the period and location in which the population lived. Here, we illustrate the specificity of plague mortality through the study of several European burial sites contemporary with the first and second plague pandemics. The paleodemographic patterns obtained for different plague outbreaks from the 6th to the 16th centuries reveal some constant features over time and space as well as some differences that suggest a possible evolution in the epidemiological characteristics of the disease.
Topics: Burial; Cemeteries; Demography; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, Medieval; Humans; Paleopathology; Pandemics; Plague
PubMed: 27726822
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.PoH-0015-2015 -
Microbiology Spectrum Dec 2022This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts,...
This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts, and vector insects from 1950 to 2020 among two natural plague foci in Yunnan Province, China. These foci include the Rattus flavipectus plague focus of the Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces and the Apodemus chevrieriEothenomys miletus plague focus of the highlands of northwestern Yunnan Province. The case fatality rate for plague in humans was 18.39% (637/3,464), and the total isolation rate of Y. pestis was 0.17% (4,968/2,975,288). Despite that the frequency of human cases declined rapidly, the animal plague fluctuated greatly, alternating between activity and inactivity in these foci. The tendency among human cases can be divided into 4 stages, 1950 to 1955, 1956 to 1989, 1990 to 2005, and 2006 to 2020. Bubonic plague accounted for the majority of cases in Yunnan, where pneumonic and septicemic plague rarely occurred. The natural plague foci have been in a relatively active state due to the stability of local ecology. Dense human population and frequent contact with host animals contribute to the high risk of human infection. This study systematically analyzed the epidemic pattern of human plague and the distribution characteristics of Y. pestis in the natural plague foci in Yunnan, providing a scientific basis for further development and adjustment of plague prevention and control strategies. Yunnan is the origin of the third plague pandemic. The analysis of human and animal plague characteristics of plague foci in Yunnan enlightens the prevention and control of the next plague pandemics. The plague characteristics of Yunnan show that human plague occurred when animal plague reached a certain scale, and strengthened surveillance of animal plague and reducing the density of host animals and transmission vectors contribute to the prevention and control of human plague outbreaks. The phenomenon of alternation between the resting period and active period of plague foci in Yunnan further proves the endogenous preservation mechanism of plague.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Humans; Plague; China; Yersinia pestis; Disease Outbreaks; Pandemics
PubMed: 36219109
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01662-22 -
The National Medical Journal of India 1995
Topics: Developing Countries; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; India; Mass Media; Plague; Public Policy
PubMed: 7735058
DOI: No ID Found -
BMC Veterinary Research Oct 2023Zoonotic diseases are like a sneaky game of "tag" between animals and humans, where the stakes are high and the consequences can be deadly. From the bubonic plague to...
Zoonotic diseases are like a sneaky game of "tag" between animals and humans, where the stakes are high and the consequences can be deadly. From the bubonic plague to COVID-19, zoonotic diseases have affected humanity for centuries, reminding us of our interconnectedness with the animal kingdom and the importance of taking proactive measures to prevent their spread. Whether it is avoiding contact with animals or practicing good hygiene, staying safe from zoonotic diseases is a game we all need to play.
Topics: Humans; Animals; COVID-19; Zoonoses; Plague
PubMed: 37789313
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03736-8 -
Infection and Immunity Jul 2016The plague bacillus Yersinia pestis is unique among the pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae in utilizing an arthropod-borne transmission route. Transmission by fleabite is a... (Review)
Review
The plague bacillus Yersinia pestis is unique among the pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae in utilizing an arthropod-borne transmission route. Transmission by fleabite is a recent evolutionary adaptation that followed the divergence of Y. pestis from the closely related food- and waterborne enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis A combination of population genetics, comparative genomics, and investigations of Yersinia-flea interactions have disclosed the important steps in the evolution and emergence of Y. pestis as a flea-borne pathogen. Only a few genetic changes, representing both gene gain by lateral transfer and gene loss by loss-of-function mutation (pseudogenization), were fundamental to this process. The emergence of Y. pestis fits evolutionary theories that emphasize ecological opportunity in adaptive diversification and rapid emergence of new species.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Animals; Biological Evolution; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Evolution, Molecular; Genetic Variation; Humans; Insect Vectors; Plague; Siphonaptera; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 27160296
DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00188-16 -
PLoS Medicine Jan 2008The authors argue that plague should be taken much more seriously by the international health community. (Review)
Review
The authors argue that plague should be taken much more seriously by the international health community.
Topics: Animals; Bioterrorism; Birds; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs; Endemic Diseases; Forecasting; Global Health; Humans; Insect Vectors; Mammals; Plague; Siphonaptera; Travel; Yersinia pestis; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
PubMed: 18198939
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050003 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Apr 2019Plague has a long history on the European continent, with evidence of the disease dating back to the Stone Age. Plague epidemics in Europe during the First and Second...
Plague has a long history on the European continent, with evidence of the disease dating back to the Stone Age. Plague epidemics in Europe during the First and Second Pandemics, including the Black Death, are infamous for their widespread mortality and lasting social and economic impact. Yet, Europe still experienced plague outbreaks during the Third Pandemic, which began in China and spread globally at the end of the nineteenth century. The digitization of international records of notifiable diseases, including plague, has enabled us to retrace the introductions of the disease to Europe from the earliest reported cases in 1899, to its disappearance in the 1940s. Using supplemental literature, we summarize the potential sources of plague in Europe and the transmission of the disease, including the role of rats. Finally, we discuss the international efforts aimed at prevention and intervention measures, namely improved hygiene and sanitation, that ultimately led to the disappearance of plague in Europe.
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Europe; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Pandemics; Plague; Rats; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 30991930
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2429