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Yersinia Pestis Research Paper

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Yersinia Pesitis – The Plague

Yersinia pestis is a highly infectious, Gram negative bacillus that is transmitted to humans usually through the bite of infected fleas. [1]. Yersinia pestis reaching the respiratory tract results in pneumonic plague, which is also highly contagious due to its airborne transmission. [1]. Pneumonic plague usually causes fatality in “less than three days if no treatment is administered.” [1].
History
In 1894, Alexandre Yersin described, discovered, and cultured the bacteria that causes Plague. [5]. Later, in 1894, Jean-Paul Simond discovered that transmission was due to flea bites from infected rodents. [5]. “Plague has been one of the deadliest bacterial infections in human history, causing millions of deaths …show more content…
[2]. In the past it has been used as a biological weapon in which infected dead bodies were thrown over city walls and infected fleas were released from airplanes. [2].
Symptoms
Symptoms of bubonic plague include fever, headache, chills, fatigue, and swollen painful lymph nodes known as buboes. [2]. This infection is typically the result from an infected flea, and “bacteria multiply in the lymph node closest to where the bacteria entered the human body.” [2]. Without correct treatment the bacteria can spread throughout the body. [2]. Symptoms of septicemic plague are similar to bubonic plague and also include abdominal pain, shock, and bleeding. Skin may turn necrotic on the fingers, toes and nose. [2]. Septicemic plague can result from untreated bubonic plague. [2]. Pneumonic plague’s symptoms are the same as the previous two and can include being short of breath, having chest pain, cough, and possibly bloody mucous. [2]. “Pneumonic plague may develop from inhaling infectious droplets or may develop from untreated bubonic or septicemic plague after the bacteria spread to the lungs.” [2]. This can also lead to respiratory failure and shock. This form of plague can be spread among persons and is the most serious form. …show more content…
New plague vaccines are in development but are not expected to be commercially available in the immediate future.” [2]. Due to the threat of bioterrorism and Yersinia pestis “being designated as a re-emerging pathogen by the WHO,” there is a need for a plague vaccine. [3]. “Killed whole-cell vaccines provide only short protection against bubonic plague and require frequent boosting to maintain immunity.” [4]. “Live-attenuated vaccine EV76” provides immunity against bubonic and pneumonic plague in humans, however it “shows side effects of varying severity and has not been used in the Western world.” [4]. “Traditional live-attenuated plague vaccines were developed by multiple passages of fully virulent Yersinia pestis, but they have not gained general acceptance because of safety concerns.”

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