A surveillance case definition is a set of uniform criteria used to define a. The flea draws viable y pestis organisms into its intestinal tract with its blood meal. Yersinia pestis definition of yersinia pestis by medical. Interactions between yersinia pestis and its host can be characterized by some degree of damage to the host, ranging from nonexistent to lethal. Sentinel laboratory guidelines for suspected agents of. Early emergence of yersinia pestis as a severe respiratory. Yersiniosis chapter 4 2020 yellow book travelers health cdc.
Plague is caused by yersinia pestis and is not commonly. These three forms of the plague have been responsible for a high death toll in many epidemics throughout human history. Yersinia pestis in rodents and fleas yersinia pestis is an obligate parasite, meaning that it cannot reproduce without a host. Jun 03, 2015 yersinia pestis, the cause of bubonic and pneumonic plague in humans, persists in populations of wild rodents in many parts of the world and is transmitted primarily by the bites of infected fleas poland et al. Plague is a zoonotic infection with its reservoirs in rodents and other animals. Plague yersinia pestis 1990 case definition recommend on facebook tweet share compartir note. Rapid and sensitive detection of yersinia pestis by. Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague, a disease which has caused the deaths of millions of people and which persists now in endemic foci. Apr 15, 2005 plague has received much attention because it may be used as a weapon by terrorists.
Yersinia enterocolitica causes gastroenteritis and is the most significant yersinia species related to water transmission. Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague, a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through flea bites and typically characterized by the appearance of a tender and swollen lymph node, the. Pharyngeal plague has been linked to the consumption of camel meat. May 06, 2019 plague yersinia pestis an easy to understand guide covering causes, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and prevention plus additional in depth medical information. In 1995, the first multidrug resistant mdr isolate of y. In this study, a rapid, cheap, sensitive, and specific technique, the lateral flow assay f1 strips, has been successfully developed to detect this pathogen, by using paired monoclonal antibodies mabs against y. Plasmidmediated highlevel resistance to multiple antibiotics was reported in a clinical isolate of yersinia pestis in madagascar in 1997.
Sentinel laboratory guidelines for suspected agents of bioterrorism yersinia pestis american society for microbiology. Annual seroprevalence of yersinia pestis in coyotes as predictors of interannual variation in reports of human plague cases in arizona, united states. The yersinioses are zoonotic infections of domestic and wild animals. Symptoms are either severe pneumonia or massive lymphadenopathy with high fever, often progressing to septicemia.
Yersinia pestis asm subject matter experts susan e. Yersinia enterocolitica is a gramnegative bacillus shaped bacterium that causes a. Plague and other yersinia infections infectious diseases. Yersinia pestis is a contributing agent to the epidemic disease, plague, which killed an. Catalase positive nonmotile 37c and room temperature. Mar 27, 2020 both yersinia enterocolitica and yersinia pestis may cause disease. Rapid and sensitive detection of yersinia pestis by lateralflow assay in simulated clinical samples huiling hsu, chuanchang chuang, chungchih liang, derjiang chiao, hsuehling wu, yuping wu, fengping lin and ronghwa shyu abstract background.
The book includes fascinating material on the history. Risk of persontoperson transmission of pneumonic plague. Here, we used a genomescale approach to identify genes required by the bacterium yersinia pestis in the production of bubonic plague a fatal. This course provides clinical laboratory scientists with information about the laboratory identification of yersinia pestis. Author summary in order to understand and combat infectious diseases, it is essential to characterize the full set of genes required by pathogenic bacteria to overcome the many immunological and physiological challenges encountered during infection. Disappearance of the disease is unlikely due to the wide range of mammalian hosts and their attendant fleas. Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague, an acute febrile infectious disease with a high fatality rate. Yersinia is, indeed, a fascinating genus of microbes, comprising harmful environmental organisms. To gain a better understanding of the clinical presentation and prognosis of this rare occurrence, we performed. Intentionally released aerosols of yersinia pestis would cause p. The genus yersinia includes 11 species, three of which are important human pathogens.
Plague yersinia pestis 1996 case definition recommend on facebook tweet share compartir note. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of yersinia infections. Earlyphase transmission of yersinia pestis by unblocked fleas as a mechanism explaining rapidly spreading plague epizootics. Federal select agent program select agents and toxins. Yersinia pestis formerly called pasteurella pestis is a short gramnegative rod that causes plague. These organisms multiply in situ sufficiently to block the proventriculus, and some organisms are regurgitated into the next bite wound, transferring the infection to a new host.
Oct 22, 2015 plague has infected humans since bronze age, dna study shows. An acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium yersinia pestis and marked clinically by high fever, toxemia, prostration, a petechial eruption, lymph node enlargement, pneumonia, or hemorrhage from the mucous membranes. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified. Yersinia pestis the causative agent of the plague is an extremely rare bacterial disease of cats and dogs y. It is not found in the uk, but occurs in several countries in africa. Bubonic plague is transmitted by the bite of infected rat fleas. Transferable plasmidmediated resistance to streptomycin in a clinical isolate of yersinia pestis.
Topics covered include the history, epidemiology, physiology, ecology, genome, evolution, pathogenesis, hostpathogen interaction, bigdatadriven research, vaccines, clinical aspects and future research. The first documented pandemic of yersinia pestis occurred in 561 ad and is often called the justinian plague after the holy roman emperor at the time. Investigation of a researchers death due to septicemic. Yersinia pestis can be presumptively identified via direct testing of clinical specimens using immunofluorescence or pcr assays. Yersinia pestis simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In a biological warfare scenario, yersinia pestis could be delivered via contaminated vectors fleas, causing the bubonic presentation, or more likely via aerosol, causing primary pneumonic plague. This book is distributed under the terms of the creative commons. However, it is also true that damage can also be caused by the hosts response to yersinia pestis, or any other microorganism it encounters. As of 2006, the genomic sequence of a strain of biovar antiqua has been recently completed. Yersinia enterocolitica is a gramnegative bacillus shaped bacterium that causes a zoonotic. Francisella tularensis, bacillus anthracis, and yersinia pestis are tier 1 select agents with the potential to rapidly cause severe disease. The plague is caused by bacteria called yersinia pestis.
Scientists say yersinia pestis bacteria were infecting people in eurasia at least 3,000 years before causing their first known. Yersinia pestis is the causal agent of plague in humans and other mammals, although the overwhelming proportion of attention and research has focused on its impacts on humans. Murray and nadels textbook of respiratory medicine sixth edition, 2016. Plague has caused some of the mostdevastating epidemics in history. Dec 15, 2005 this book is acknowledged as a comprehensive milestone in the rapidly changing study of yersinia species. Similar to the other pathogenic strains, signs exist of loss of function mutations.
Plague is caused by infection with the bacterium yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. Eisen rj, bearden sw, wilder ap, montenieri ja, antolin mf, gage kl. Yersinia species are gramnegative, coccobacilli bacteria, a few micrometers long and fractions of a micrometer in diameter, and are facultative anaerobes. Mar 21, 2020 plague, infectious disease caused by yersinia pestis, a bacterium transmitted from rodents to humans by the bite of infected fleas. The resistance determinants were carried by a selftransferable plasmid that could conjugate at high frequencies. Yersinia pestis yopj suppresses tumor necrosis factor alpha induction and contributes to apoptosis of immune cells in the lymph node but is not required for virulence in a rat model of bubonic plague. Sentinel laboratories yersinia pestis description this module has been developed to provide clinical laboratory scientists with information about the laboratory identification of yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis simulated blood culture was the second agent of interest provided in the lpsa exercise. Topics covered include the history, epidemiology, physiology, ecology, genome, evolution, pathogenesis, hostpathogen interaction, bigdatadriven research, vaccines, clinical aspects and future research trends. This will provide a valuable research resource to scientists for identifying new targets for vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics for this deadly pathogen. Plague has infected humans since bronze age, dna study shows. Transfusiontransmitted yersinia enterocolitica sepsis.
Ilya berim, sanjay sethi, in clinical respiratory medicine fourth edition, 2012. Molecular and cellular biology edited by elisabeth. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with plague. Plague vaccine is a vaccine used against yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis is a gram negative, rodshaped, facultative anaerobic bacterium, known for causing the plague.
Huchon, in clinical respiratory medicine third edition, 2008. It is a disease of rodents squirrels, rabbits, rats that is transmitted to humans by flea bites or by persontoperson contact through aerosol. A presumptive case of plague is an elevated serum antibody titers to yersinia pestis fraction 1 f1 antigen without documented fourfold or greater change in a patient with no history of plague vaccination, or detection of f1 antigen in a clinical specimen by fluorescent assay. Biosafety level 3 practices for all culture manipulations that might produce aerosols. Health, general antibiotics usage plague research plasmids public health management. Yersinia enterocolitica mainly causes acute enteritis, but systemic infections, such as bacteraemia, joint pain, and rashes have occasionally resulted. Biosafety level 2 for processing clinical specimens.
Humans can be infected either through the bite of a flea which has taken a blood meal from an infected rodent or through contaminated aerosolized droplets. It is a facultative anaerobic organism that can infect humans via the oriental rat flea xenopsylla cheopis. Transferable plasmidmediated resistance to streptomycin. Plague is a widespread zoonotic disease that is caused by yersinia pestis and has had devastating effects on the human population throughout history. Yersinia pestis formerly pasteurella pestis is a gramnegative, nonmotile, rodshaped, coccobacillus bacterium, with no spores. Pasteurella, yersinia, and francisella medical microbiology.
Rapid detection of these bacteria from patient samples at the point of care could. Swollen, blackened lymph nodes buboes develop, followed by septicemia and hemorrhagic pneumonia and death. Epidemiology, microbiology and pathogenesis of plague yersinia pestis infection microbiology and pathogenesis of yersinia infections. Plague pandemics investigated by ribotyping of yersinia. Yersinia pestis causes bubonic and pneumonic plague. It was the disease behind the black death of the 14th century, when as much as onethird of europes population died. Plague caused by yersinia pestis is categorized as a rare disease. Which yersinia species cause bacterial pharyngitis. Plague, caused by the bacterium yersinia pestis, is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. Antimicrobial resistance in yersinia pestis is rare, yet constitutes a significant international public health and biodefense threat. Clinical signs in humans manifest as either a bubonic form, localized to the regional.
Plague bubonic, pneumonic, septicemic chapter 4 2020. Yersinia pestis co92deltayoph is a potent liveattenuated plague vaccine. Humans can be considered accidental victims when they are bitten by rodent fleas or handle animal tissues or, rarely, inhale airborne bacteria from coughing patients or from infected animals. Rapid detection of these bacteria from patient samples at. Wu lienteh, plague, a manual for medical and public health workers 1. Yersinia pestis or pasteurella pestis is a short gramnegative rod that causes plague. Nov 26, 2019 plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals. Yersinia enterocolitica and yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections enteritis and other illnesses. This letter identifies the death of a researcher from infection with disseminated yersinia pestis, which he was working with in the lab.
Although yersinia enterocolitica is a common enteropathogen usually causing relatively mild disease, it is nevertheless a prominent cause of lifethreatening posttransfusion infection. The gramnegative bacterium yersinia pestis transmission. References evidencebased clinical decision support at. Key characteristics gramnegative bacillus grows at 3537c, faster at room temperature. Less common exposures include handling infected animal tissues hunters, wildlife personnel, inhalation of infectious droplets from cats or dogs with plague, and, rarely, contact with a pneumonic plague patient. People typically get infected after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the bacterium or by handling a plagueinfected animal. Plague is caused by the gramnegative bacterium yersinia pestis. The goal is to assist clinical laboratory scientists in better recognizing potential bioterrorism agents they may encounter during routine laboratory workups of sputum, blood and aspiratebiopsy specimens.
Bacterial sepsis has become the most frequent infectious complication of transfusion. Jul 09, 2008 yersinia pestis medical guide guides, qontro medical on. Plague is caused by yersinia pestis, a pleomorphic, bipolarstaining with. Yersinia pestis is the etiologic agent of plague and has caused multiple. Bubonic plague is a fleaborne zoonosis caused by the gramnegative bacterium yersinia pestis, which mainly affects small burrowing mammals including domestic rats. Aug 15, 2017 role of the yersinia pestis hemin storage hms locus in the transmission of plague by fleas.
Yersinia pestis formerly pasteurella pestis is a gramnegative, nonmotile. Several dozen virulence genes, their environment dependent expression control, and the complex mechanisms of their product action and coordination, which enable immune system evasion and disease progression. Rodents are the primary hosts of the bacteria, which is spread. Although there are historic suggestions of cats being susceptible to plague, it was not until the latter part of. In order to prepare for such an event, it is important, particularly for medical personnel and first responders, to form a realistic idea of the risk of persontoperson spread of. Yersinia pestis medical guide guides, qontro medical on. Yersinia pestis, yersinia enterocolitica, and yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Yersinia is a genus of bacteria in the family yersiniaceae. It is a disease of rodents squirrels, rabbits, rats that is transmitted to humans by flea bites or by persontoperson contact through aerosol inhalation. Yersinia pestis is a contributing agent to the epidemic disease, plague, which killed an estimated 200 million people during historical times. Yersinia pestis is the agent responsible for the plague. This book is distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution 4. This bacterium also causes other forms of plague septicemic plague and pneumonic plague.
It began in egypt and spread along trade routes killing upwards of 60% of the populations of europe, north africa, and southern and central asia. Yersinia pestisetiologic agent of plague clinical microbiology. It was subsequently determined that he had hemochromatosis. The genus yersinia includes 18 species, 3 of which are important human pathogens. Niaidsupported investigators sequenced the genome of the strain of yersinia pestis that was associated with the second pandemic of plague, including the black death. Bubonic plague is characterized by sepsis that is accompanied by the sudden onset of fever, chills, weakness, headache, and the formation of buboes and swelling of regional lymph nodes of the groin, axilla, or neck. It has been identified as the infectious agent of bubonic plague. These bugs pick up the germs when they bite infected animals like rats, mice, or squirrels. References evidencebased clinical decision support at the. Intentionally released aerosols of yersinia pestis would cause pneumonic plague. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of plague yersinia pestis infection epidemiology of yersiniosis.