Y Pestis Research Paper

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The pathogen Y. Pestis is particularly good at surviving in both animals and insects, and does not require a human host to survive and thrive. [9]. Because it doesn’t necessarily have to inhabit a human to survive, Y. Pestis can survive for a very long period of time outside of a human host. [9]. In terms of pathogenic reservoirs, the bacteria rely on human and animal reservoirs, as well as environmental reservoirs (the bacteria can survive in soil for several months). [9]. Outside of humans, one of the major carriers of Yersinia Pestis is fleas, which can then live on and bite (infect) animals in the cases of bubonic and septicemic plague. The bacteria colonizes the midgut of the flea, and is able to do so by the actions of Yersinia Murine …show more content…

Pestis is able to make a host sick in many ways. In the case of bubonic plague, Y. Pestis enters the body through a flea bite. [3]. Y. Pestis triggers an immune response from a human host by first colonizing the body’s macrophages, which it is able to gain access to by phagocytosis. [3]. Then, once the bacteria have reached the lymph nodes, it escapes the Macrophages (sometimes causing lysis or rupture of macrophages) and replicates extracellularly. [3]. From there, secondary infection by mass colonization of immune cells in blood stream can occur, otherwise known as septicemic plague. [3]. Y. Pestis is also able to, in some cases, colonize the lungs (Pneumonic plague) by inhalation of droplets containing bacteria.[3]. Pneumonic plague causes severe immune response, and has a mortality rate of nearly 100 percent. [3]. When Y. Pestis colonizes these regions of the body, the bacteria release a number of toxins to aid in both maintenance of the bacteria themselves as well as the evasion of the host’s immune system. [3]. One of these toxins is the Yersinia Murine Toxin, which is primarily useful in the proventriculus of the carrier fleas rather than in the body of an infected mammal. …show more content…

Since the discovery of the pathogen in 1894 [6], we have learned a lot about the bacteria that was responsible for what was arguably the worst epidemic the modern world has ever seen. There are two other somewhat similar pathogens that both also belong to the Yersinia genus, both of which are mostly food-borne, and only really cause stomach pain and diarrhea. [14]. However, there are still many unknowns when it comes to both strains of the Yersinia Pestis bacteria (Strain KIM and Strain CO92). [11]. Current research occurring at the Indian Academy of Sciences, may suggest that Yersinia Pestis and its close relative of the same genus (and far less lethal symptoms), Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis may have evolved from a common ancestor thousands of years ago. [11]. It is not completely known if Y. Pestis is still evolving, as resources in countries where the pathogen is still present are thin.

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