Prentice Michael B, Rahalison Lila
Department of Pathology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Lancet. 2007 Apr 7;369(9568):1196-207. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60566-2.
Bubonic plague is an often fulminant systemic zoonosis, caused by Yersinia pestis. Conventional microbiology, bacterial population genetics, and genome sequence data, all suggest that Y pestis is a recently evolved clone of the enteric pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The genetic basis of this organism's rapid adaptation to its insect vector (the flea) with transmission between mammalian hosts by novel subcutaneous and pneumonic routes of infection is becoming clearer. This transition provides a paradigm for the way in which new pathogens could emerge. Plague in humans is controlled by suppression of rodent reservoir hosts and their fleas and by early detection and treatment of cases of disease. Detection systems for plague in non-endemic regions might now be needed because of a bioterrorism threat. Rapid diagnostic tests are available and a subunit vaccine is in clinical trials.
腺鼠疫是一种通常会迅猛发作的全身性人畜共患病，由鼠疫耶尔森菌引起。传统微生物学、细菌群体遗传学以及基因组序列数据均表明，鼠疫耶尔森菌是肠道病原体假结核耶尔森菌最近进化而来的一个克隆。这种生物体通过新型皮下和肺部感染途径在哺乳动物宿主之间传播，从而迅速适应其昆虫载体（跳蚤）的遗传基础正变得越来越清晰。这种转变为新病原体出现的方式提供了一个范例。人类鼠疫可通过抑制啮齿动物储存宿主及其跳蚤以及通过对疾病病例的早期检测和治疗来加以控制。由于存在生物恐怖主义威胁，现在可能需要在非疫区建立鼠疫检测系统。已有快速诊断测试可用，一种亚单位疫苗正在进行临床试验。
