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Yersinia Pestis: The Black Plague

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The microbe that I have chosen to study is Yersinia pestis, the causative organism of the black plague. The genus Yersinia is a part of the family Enterobacteriaceae. 3 of the species in this family are pathogenic; Yersinia pestis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Yersinia pestis is a gram-negative bacteria, it is nonmotile, and does not form endospores. It is a coccobacillus that displays unusual bipolar staining. The optimal growth temperature of Yersinia pestis is 28° to 30°C. Yersinia pestis is also considered a facultative anaerobe, and grows at pH ranging from 5 to 9.6, although it’s optimum pH is 7.2 to 7.6. Yersinia pestis has 4,744,671 base pairs on its chromosome, making it a large bacterium.
The virulence factors for Yersinia pestis are unique, including YadA (Yersinia adherence protein.) YadA allows the attachment to host cells and activation of Complement. Also, at conditions at or above 37° C, Yersinia pestis becomes resistant to phagocytosis, making the human body a perfect reservoir for growth …show more content…
The infection starts in rodents; they are the primary carriers of Yersinia pestis. Fleas are infected by rodents through their blood. Yersinia pestis stays in the fleas stomach for 3-9 days and blocks them from digesting blood. Instead, when the flea tries to feed on a human, the disease is released through the bite and into the human. It is suggested that Yersinia pestis spreads from the bite to the lymph nodes, where it multiplies to high numbers and causes swollen lymph nodes (bubo) (35 full). The growth continues to develop into the blood, spleen, and liver and eventually spreads to other organs. Although fleas are the main vector, the most recent cases of human plague have been contracted from animals such as squirrels, mice, rabbits, and chipmunks (35

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