Pneumonic Plague: The Darker Side of Yersinia pestis.

Autor: Pechous RD; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA., Sivaraman V; Department of Biology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27703, USA., Stasulli NM; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA., Goldman WE; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Electronic address: goldman@med.unc.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Trends in microbiology [Trends Microbiol] 2016 Mar; Vol. 24 (3), pp. 190-197. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Dec 14.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2015.11.008
Abstrakt: Inhalation of the bacterium Yersinia pestis results in primary pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague is the most severe manifestation of plague, with mortality rates approaching 100% in the absence of treatment. Its rapid disease progression, lethality, and ability to be transmitted via aerosol have compounded fears of the intentional release of Y. pestis as a biological weapon. Importantly, recent epidemics of plague have highlighted a significant role for pneumonic plague during outbreaks of Y. pestis infections. In this review we describe the characteristics of pneumonic plague, focusing on its disease progression and pathogenesis. The rapid time-course, severity, and difficulty of treating pneumonic plague highlight how differences in the route of disease transmission can enhance the lethality of an already deadly pathogen.
(Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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