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Colman RE, Brinkerhoff RJ, Busch JD, Ray C, Doyle A, Sahl JW, Keim P, Collinge SK, Wagner DM. No evidence for enzootic plague within black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) populations. Integr Zool 2021; 16:834-851. [PMID: 33882192 PMCID: PMC9292313 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, causative agent of plague, occurs throughout the western United States in rodent populations and periodically causes epizootics in susceptible species, including black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). How Y. pestis persists long‐term in the environment between these epizootics is poorly understood but multiple mechanisms have been proposed, including, among others, a separate enzootic transmission cycle that maintains Y. pestis without involvement of epizootic hosts and persistence of Y. pestis within epizootic host populations without causing high mortality within those populations. We live‐trapped and collected fleas from black‐tailed prairie dogs and other mammal species from sites with and without black‐tailed prairie dogs in 2004 and 2005 and tested all fleas for presence of Y. pestis. Y. pestis was not detected in 2126 fleas collected in 2004 but was detected in 294 fleas collected from multiple sites in 2005, before and during a widespread epizootic that drastically reduced black‐tailed prairie dog populations in the affected colonies. Temporal and spatial patterns of Y. pestis occurrence in fleas and genotyping of Y. pestis present in some infected fleas suggest Y. pestis was introduced multiple times from sources outside the study area and once introduced, was dispersed between several sites. We conclude Y. pestis likely was not present in these black‐tailed prairie dog colonies prior to epizootic activity in these colonies. Although we did not identify likely enzootic hosts, we found evidence that deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) may serve as bridging hosts for Y. pestis between unknown enzootic hosts and black‐tailed prairie dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Colman
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Joseph D Busch
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Chris Ray
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Adina Doyle
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Jason W Sahl
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Paul Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Sharon K Collinge
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - David M Wagner
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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2
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Barbieri R, Signoli M, Chevé D, Costedoat C, Tzortzis S, Aboudharam G, Raoult D, Drancourt M. Yersinia pestis: the Natural History of Plague. Clin Microbiol Rev 2020; 34:e00044-19. [PMID: 33298527 PMCID: PMC7920731 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00044-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis is responsible for deadly plague, a zoonotic disease established in stable foci in the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. Its persistence in the environment relies on the subtle balance between Y. pestis-contaminated soils, burrowing and nonburrowing mammals exhibiting variable degrees of plague susceptibility, and their associated fleas. Transmission from one host to another relies mainly on infected flea bites, inducing typical painful, enlarged lymph nodes referred to as buboes, followed by septicemic dissemination of the pathogen. In contrast, droplet inhalation after close contact with infected mammals induces primary pneumonic plague. Finally, the rarely reported consumption of contaminated raw meat causes pharyngeal and gastrointestinal plague. Point-of-care diagnosis, early antibiotic treatment, and confinement measures contribute to outbreak control despite residual mortality. Mandatory primary prevention relies on the active surveillance of established plague foci and ectoparasite control. Plague is acknowledged to have infected human populations for at least 5,000 years in Eurasia. Y. pestis genomes recovered from affected archaeological sites have suggested clonal evolution from a common ancestor shared with the closely related enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and have indicated that ymt gene acquisition during the Bronze Age conferred Y. pestis with ectoparasite transmissibility while maintaining its enteric transmissibility. Three historic pandemics, starting in 541 AD and continuing until today, have been described. At present, the third pandemic has become largely quiescent, with hundreds of human cases being reported mainly in a few impoverished African countries, where zoonotic plague is mostly transmitted to people by rodent-associated flea bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Barbieri
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - M Signoli
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - D Chevé
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - C Costedoat
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France
| | - S Tzortzis
- Ministère de la Culture, Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles de Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Service Régional de l'Archéologie, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - G Aboudharam
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Faculty of Odontology, Marseille, France
| | - D Raoult
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - M Drancourt
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Bai Y, Motin V, Enscore RE, Osikowicz L, Rosales Rizzo M, Hojgaard A, Kosoy M, Eisen RJ. Pentaplex real-time PCR for differential detection of Yersinia pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis and application for testing fleas collected during plague epizootics. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1105. [PMID: 32783386 PMCID: PMC7568250 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon acquiring two unique plasmids (pMT1 and pPCP1) and genome rearrangement during the evolution from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, the plague causative agent Y. pestis is closely related to Y. pseudotuberculosis genetically but became highly virulent. We developed a pentaplex real-time PCR assay that not only detects both Yersinia species but also differentiates Y. pestis strains regarding their plasmid profiles. The five targets used were Y. pestis-specific ypo2088, caf1, and pst located on the chromosome, plasmids pMT1 and pPCP1, respectively; Y. pseudotuberculosis-specific chromosomal gene opgG; and 18S ribosomal RNA gene as an internal control for flea DNA. All targets showed 100% specificity and high sensitivity with limits of detection ranging from 1 fg to 100 fg, with Y. pestis-specific pst as the most sensitive target. Using the assay, Y. pestis strains were differentiated 100% by their known plasmid profiles. Testing Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis-spiked flea DNA showed there is no interference from flea DNA on the amplification of targeted genes. Finally, we applied the assay for testing 102 fleas collected from prairie dog burrows where prairie dog die-off was reported months before flea collection. All flea DNA was amplified by 18S rRNA; no Y. pseudotuberculosis was detected; one flea was positive for all Y. pestis-specific targets, confirming local Y. pestis transmission. Our results indicated the assay is sensitive and specific for the detection and differentiation of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis. The assay can be used in field investigations for the rapid identification of the plague causative agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Bai
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Vladimir Motin
- Department of PathologyDepartment of Microbiology & ImmunologyThe University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonGalvestonTexasUSA
| | - Russell E. Enscore
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Lynn Osikowicz
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Maria Rosales Rizzo
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | | | - Rebecca J. Eisen
- Bacterial Disease BranchDivision of Vector‐Borne DiseasesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionFort CollinsColoradoUSA
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Jauset-Rubio M, Tomaso H, El-Shahawi MS, Bashammakh AS, Al-Youbi AO, O'Sullivan CK. Duplex Lateral Flow Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of Yersinia pestis and Francisella tularensis. Anal Chem 2018; 90:12745-12751. [PMID: 30296053 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b03105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
High-risk pathogens such as Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis are categorized as highly hazardous organisms that can be used as biological weapons. Given the extreme infectivity of these potential biowarfare agents, a rapid, sensitive, cost-effective, and specific method for their detection is required. Here, we report the multiplexed amplification detection of genomic DNA from Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis. Amplification was achieved using isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification, exploiting tailed primers, followed by detection using a nucleic-acid lateral flow assay. Excess primers were removed using a novel fishing strategy, avoiding the use of postamplification purification that requires centrifugation and infers additional assay cost. The entire assay is completed in less than 1 h, achieving limits of detection of 243 fg (1.21 × 102 genome equivalent) and 4 fg (0.85 genome equivalent) for Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Jauset-Rubio
- INTERFIBIO Consolidated Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering , Universitat Rovira I Virgili , 43007 Tarragona , Spain
| | - Herbert Tomaso
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses , Naumburger Strasse 96a , 07743 Jena , Germany
| | - Mohammad S El-Shahawi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University , P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz S Bashammakh
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University , P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman O Al-Youbi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University , P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ciara K O'Sullivan
- INTERFIBIO Consolidated Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering , Universitat Rovira I Virgili , 43007 Tarragona , Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avancats , Passeig Lluís Companys 23 , 08010 Barcelona , Spain
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5
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Nyirenda SS, Hang Ombe BM, Simulundu E, Mulenga E, Moonga L, Machang U RS, Misinzo G, Kilonzo BS. Molecular epidemiological investigations of plague in Eastern Province of Zambia. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:2. [PMID: 29433443 PMCID: PMC5810007 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-1146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plague is a flea-borne zoonotic and invasive disease caused by a gram negative coccobacillus bacterium called Yersinia pestis. Plague has caused three devastating pandemics globally namely: the Justinian, Black Death and Oriental plague. The disease in the Eastern Province of Zambia has been reported in Nyimba and Sinda Districts in the past 15 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of plague in the two affected districts. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), targeting Plasminogen activator gene (pla gene) of Y. pestis, was performed on suspected human bubo aspirates (n = 7), rodents (n = 216), shrews (n = 27) and fleas (n = 1494). Of these, one positive sample from each source or host was subjected to sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis. Results The plasminogen activator gene (pla gene) of Y. pestis was detected in 42.8% bubo aspirates, 6.9% rodents, 3.7% shrew and 0.8% fleas. The fleas were from pigs (n = 4), goats (n = 5) and rodents (n = 3). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis suggested that the pla gene of Y. pestis in Nyimba and Sinda was similar and the isolates demonstrated a high degree of evolutionary relationship with Antiqua strains from the Republic of Congo and Kenya. Conclusion It can be concluded that pla gene of Y. pestis was present in various hosts in the two districts and the strains circulating in each district were similar and resembles those in the Republic of Congo and Kenya. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-017-1146-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley S Nyirenda
- Central Veterinary Research Institute, P.O. BOX 33980, Balmoral, Lusaka, Zambia. .,Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
| | - Bernard M Hang Ombe
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Edgar Simulundu
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Evans Mulenga
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Ladslav Moonga
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Robert S Machang U
- Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Gerald Misinzo
- Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Bukheti S Kilonzo
- Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
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