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Xu L, Wang Q, Yang R, Ganbold D, Tsogbadrakh N, Dong K, Liu M, Altantogtokh D, Liu Q, Undrakhbold S, Boldgiv B, Liang W, Stenseth NC. Climate-driven marmot-plague dynamics in Mongolia and China. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11906. [PMID: 37488160 PMCID: PMC10366125 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38966-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of plague has rebounded in the Americas, Asia, and Africa alongside rapid globalization and climate change. Previous studies have shown local climate to have significant nonlinear effects on plague dynamics among rodent communities. We analyzed an 18-year database of plague, spanning 1998 to 2015, in the foci of Mongolia and China to trace the associations between marmot plague and climate factors. Our results suggested a density-dependent effect of precipitation and a geographic location-dependent effect of temperature on marmot plague. That is, a significantly positive relationship was evident between risk of plague and precipitation only when the marmot density exceeded a certain threshold. The geographical heterogeneity of the temperature effect and the contrasting slopes of influence for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and other regions in the study (nQTP) were primarily related to diversity of climate and landscape types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Dalantai Ganbold
- National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, 211137, Mongolia
| | | | - Kaixing Dong
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | | | - Qiyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Sainbileg Undrakhbold
- Professional Biological Society of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, Mongolia
- Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, Mongolia
| | - Bazartseren Boldgiv
- Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, Mongolia.
| | - Wannian Liang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- The Centre for Pandemics and One-Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Alves Duarte da Silva M. Between Deserts and Jungles: The Emergence and Circulation of Sylvatic Plague (1920-1950). Med Anthropol 2023; 42:325-339. [PMID: 36961521 PMCID: PMC10642352 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2023.2189110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
I trace the development of the concept of sylvatic plague - the first sylvatic disease - examining its invention by Ricardo Jorge to describe a global phenomenon of plague reservoirs among wild rodents, and its circulation. The concept implied a space where plague was enzootic, and relied on a division between inhabited and uninhabited spaces and between domestic rats and wild rodents. Some of the characteristics of this space varied, but it always referred to places imagined as empty of humans and rats. In 1927, it designated ambiguously deserts, in 1935, uninhabited regions in general, and in Brazil, it referred to the jungle.
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Epidemiological Characteristics of Human and Animal Plague in Yunnan Province, China, 1950 to 2020. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0166222. [PMID: 36219109 PMCID: PMC9784778 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01662-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts, and vector insects from 1950 to 2020 among two natural plague foci in Yunnan Province, China. These foci include the Rattus flavipectus plague focus of the Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces and the Apodemus chevrieri-Eothenomys miletus plague focus of the highlands of northwestern Yunnan Province. The case fatality rate for plague in humans was 18.39% (637/3,464), and the total isolation rate of Y. pestis was 0.17% (4,968/2,975,288). Despite that the frequency of human cases declined rapidly, the animal plague fluctuated greatly, alternating between activity and inactivity in these foci. The tendency among human cases can be divided into 4 stages, 1950 to 1955, 1956 to 1989, 1990 to 2005, and 2006 to 2020. Bubonic plague accounted for the majority of cases in Yunnan, where pneumonic and septicemic plague rarely occurred. The natural plague foci have been in a relatively active state due to the stability of local ecology. Dense human population and frequent contact with host animals contribute to the high risk of human infection. This study systematically analyzed the epidemic pattern of human plague and the distribution characteristics of Y. pestis in the natural plague foci in Yunnan, providing a scientific basis for further development and adjustment of plague prevention and control strategies. IMPORTANCE Yunnan is the origin of the third plague pandemic. The analysis of human and animal plague characteristics of plague foci in Yunnan enlightens the prevention and control of the next plague pandemics. The plague characteristics of Yunnan show that human plague occurred when animal plague reached a certain scale, and strengthened surveillance of animal plague and reducing the density of host animals and transmission vectors contribute to the prevention and control of human plague outbreaks. The phenomenon of alternation between the resting period and active period of plague foci in Yunnan further proves the endogenous preservation mechanism of plague.
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Eads D, Buehler L, Esbenshade A, Fly J, Miller E, Redmond H, Ritter E, Tynes C, Wittmann S, Roghair P, Childers E. One Health in action: flea control and interpretative education at Badlands National Park. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2022; 47:227-229. [PMID: 36314678 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-47.2.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, CO, U.S.A.,
| | - Lindsey Buehler
- Prairie Wildlife Research, WI, U.S.A
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | | | - Jason Fly
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Evan Miller
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Holly Redmond
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Emily Ritter
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Caitlyn Tynes
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Sasha Wittmann
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Paul Roghair
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
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Exploring and Mitigating Plague for One Health Purposes. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-022-00265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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6
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Eads D, Livieri T, Tretten T, Hughes J, Kaczor N, Halsell E, Grassel S, Dobesh P, Childers E, Lucas D, Noble L, Vasquez M, Grady AC, Biggins D. Assembling a safe and effective toolbox for integrated flea control and plague mitigation: Fipronil experiments with prairie dogs. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272419. [PMID: 35939486 PMCID: PMC9359584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plague, a widely distributed zoonotic disease of mammalian hosts and flea vectors, poses a significant risk to ecosystems throughout much of Earth. Conservation biologists use insecticides for flea control and plague mitigation. Here, we evaluate the use of an insecticide grain bait, laced with 0.005% fipronil (FIP) by weight, with black-tailed prairie dogs (BTPDs, Cynomys ludovicianus). We consider safety measures, flea control, BTPD body condition, BTPD survival, efficacy of plague mitigation, and the speed of FIP grain application vs. infusing BTPD burrows with insecticide dusts. We also explore conservation implications for endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), which are specialized predators of Cynomys. Principal findings During 5- and 10-day laboratory trials in Colorado, USA, 2016–2017, FIP grain had no detectable acute toxic effect on 20 BTPDs that readily consumed the grain. During field experiments in South Dakota, USA, 2016–2020, FIP grain suppressed fleas on BTPDs for at least 12 months and up to 24 months in many cases; short-term flea control on a few sites was poor for unknown reasons. In an area of South Dakota where plague circulation appeared low or absent, FIP grain had no detectable effect, positive or negative, on BTPD survival. Experimental results suggest FIP grain may have improved BTPD body condition (mass:foot) and reproduction (juveniles:adults). During a 2019 plague epizootic in Colorado, BTPDs on 238 ha habitat were protected by FIP grain, whereas BTPDs were nearly eliminated on non-treated habitat. Applications of FIP grain were 2–4 times faster than dusting BTPD burrows. Significance Deltamethrin dust is the most commonly used insecticide for plague mitigation on Cynomys colonies. Fleas on BTPD colonies exhibit the ability to evolve resistance to deltamethrin after repeated annual treatments. Thus, more tools are needed. Accumulating data show orally-delivered FIP is safe and usually effective for flea control with BTPDs, though potential acute toxic effects cannot be ruled out. With continued study and refinement, FIP might be used in rotation with, or even replace deltamethrin, and serve an important role in Cynomys and black-footed ferret conservation. More broadly, our stepwise approach to research on FIP may function as a template or guide for evaluations of insecticides in the context of wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Eads
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Travis Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tyler Tretten
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, Colorado, United States of America
| | - John Hughes
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nick Kaczor
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Emily Halsell
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shaun Grassel
- Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Phillip Dobesh
- U.S. Forest Service, Wall Ranger District, Wall, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - Eddie Childers
- National Park Service, Badlands National Park, Rapid City, South Dakota, United States of America
| | - David Lucas
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arvada, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lauren Noble
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michele Vasquez
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Anna Catherine Grady
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Dean Biggins
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Mou W, Li B, Wang X, Wang Y, Liao P, Zhang X, Gui Y, Baokaixi G, Luo Y, Aihemaijiang M, Wang Q, Liu F. Flea index predicts plague epizootics among great gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) in the Junggar Basin China plague focus. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:214. [PMID: 35715846 PMCID: PMC9205042 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05330-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Junggar Basin plague focus was the most recently identified natural plague focus in China. Through extensive field investigations, great gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) have been confirmed as the main host in this focus, and the community structure of their parasitic fleas is associated with the intensity of plague epizootics. The aim of this study is to provide an indicator that can be surveyed to evaluate the risk of plague epizootics. Methods Between 2005 and 2016, rodents and fleas were collected in the Junggar Basin plague focus. The parasitic fleas on great gerbils were harvested, and anti-F1 antibody in the serum or heart infusion of great gerbils was detected through indirect hemagglutination assay. Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) was isolated from the liver and spleen of great gerbils and their parasitic fleas using Luria-Bertani plates. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of flea index. Results Between 2005 and 2016, 98 investigations were performed, and 6778 great gerbils and 68,498 fleas were collected. Twenty-seven rodents were positive for Y. pestis isolation with a positivity rate of 0.4%; 674 rodents were positive for anti-F1 antibody with a positivity rate of 9.9%. Among these 98 investigations, plague epizootics were confirmed in 13 instances by Y. pestis-positive rodents and in 59 instances by anti-F1 antibody-positive rodents. We observed a higher flea index among rodents with confirmed plague epizootic compared to the negative ones (P = 0.001, 0.002), with an AUC value of 0.659 (95% CI: 0.524–0.835, P = 0.038) for Y. pestis-positive rodents and an AUC value of 0.718 (95% CI: 0.687–0.784, P < 0.001) for anti-F1 antibody-positive rodents. Conclusions Significantly higher flea index was associated with confirmed plague epizootic cases among great gerbils and could be used to predict plague epizootics in this focus. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Mou
- Microbiological Laboratory, Urumqi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Human Resource, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Peihua Liao
- Department of Science and Education, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhang
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Youjun Gui
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Guliayi Baokaixi
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Yongjun Luo
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Mukedaisi Aihemaijiang
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China
| | - Qiguo Wang
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China.
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Emergency Response and Plague Control, Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, China.
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Bezerra MF, Xavier CC, de Almeida AMP, Reis CRDS. Evaluation of a multi-species Protein A-ELISA assay for plague serologic diagnosis in humans and other mammal hosts. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0009805. [PMID: 35551520 PMCID: PMC9129028 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Hemagglutination assay (HA) is widely used in plague diagnosis, however, it has a subjective interpretation and demands high amounts of antigen and other immunobiological supplies. On the other hand, the conventional Anti-IgG ELISA is limited by the need of specific conjugates for multiple plague hosts, which leaves a gap for new diagnostic methods able to cover both the diagnosis of human cases and the epidemiological surveillance of multiple sentinel species. Methods We developed an ELISA Protein A-peroxidase method to detect anti-F1 antibodies across several species, including humans. To determine the cut-off and performance rates, HA results from 288 samples (81 rabbits, 64 humans, 66 rodents and 77 dogs) were used as reference. Next, we evaluated the agreement between Protein A-ELISA and Anti-IgG ELISA in an expanded sample set (n = 487). Results Optimal conditions were found with 250ng/well of F1 and 1:500 serum dilution. Protein A-ELISA showed high repeatability and reproducibility. We observed good correlation rates between the Protein A and IgG ELISAs optical densities and a higher positive/negative OD ratio for the Protein A-ELISA method. The overall sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve for Protein A-ELISA were 94%, 99% and 0.99, respectively. Similar results were observed for each species separately. In the analysis of the expanded sample set, there was a strong agreement between Protein A and IgG assays (kappa = 0.97). Furthermore, there was no cross-reaction with other common infectious diseases, such as dengue, Zika, Chagas disease, tuberculosis (humans) and ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and leishmaniasis (dogs). Conclusions Altogether, the Protein A-ELISA showed high performance when compared both to HA and Anti-IgG ELISA, with a polyvalent single protocol that requires reduced amounts of antigen and can be employed to any plague hosts. Here, we developed and evaluated an ELISA diagnostic test based on the Protein A-peroxidase conjugate that allows the test to be used for plague laboratorial diagnosis not only in humans, but also in a wide range of mammalian species. This particularity is specifically important for plague epidemiological surveillance, given that Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, have a long list of animal reservoirs across distinct ecosystems. Briefly, we first evaluated the best reaction parameters, such as antigen concentration, serum and protein A-conjugate dilutions. Next, we used serum samples from humans, dogs, rodents and rabbits (n = 288) with known results for plague serology by a conventional method, to evaluate the performance of the new Protein A-ELISA test. We observed a good performance of the novel Protein A-ELISA test, with high sensitivity and specificity rates. Evaluation of the coefficient of variation revealed that the test measurements suffer little variation, and therefore, has high repeatability and reproducibility. Next, by evaluating 487 samples, we observed a high degree of concordance between the Protein A-ELISA with a conventional IgG-based ELISA. Furthermore, this test showed no significant cross-reaction with other common infectious diseases. Altogether, the Protein A-ELISA showed high performance when compared both to HA and Anti-IgG ELISA, with a single protocol that requires reduced amounts of antigen and can be employed to several plague hosts.
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Carlson CJ, Bevins SN, Schmid BV. Plague risk in the western United States over seven decades of environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:753-769. [PMID: 34796590 PMCID: PMC9299200 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
After several pandemics over the last two millennia, the wildlife reservoirs of plague (Yersinia pestis) now persist around the world, including in the western United States. Routine surveillance in this region has generated comprehensive records of human cases and animal seroprevalence, creating a unique opportunity to test how plague reservoirs are responding to environmental change. Here, we test whether animal and human data suggest that plague reservoirs and spillover risk have shifted since 1950. To do so, we develop a new method for detecting the impact of climate change on infectious disease distributions, capable of disentangling long-term trends (signal) and interannual variation in both weather and sampling (noise). We find that plague foci are associated with high-elevation rodent communities, and soil biochemistry may play a key role in the geography of long-term persistence. In addition, we find that human cases are concentrated only in a small subset of endemic areas, and that spillover events are driven by higher rodent species richness (the amplification hypothesis) and climatic anomalies (the trophic cascade hypothesis). Using our detection model, we find that due to the changing climate, rodent communities at high elevations have become more conducive to the establishment of plague reservoirs-with suitability increasing up to 40% in some places-and that spillover risk to humans at mid-elevations has increased as well, although more gradually. These results highlight opportunities for deeper investigation of plague ecology, the value of integrative surveillance for infectious disease geography, and the need for further research into ongoing climate change impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and SecurityGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Sarah N. Bevins
- US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service–Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Boris V. Schmid
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary SynthesisDepartment of BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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What do we know about osmoadaptation of Yersinia pestis? Arch Microbiol 2021; 204:11. [PMID: 34878588 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02610-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The plague agent Yersinia pestis mainly spreads among mammalian hosts and their associated fleas. Production of a successful mammal-flea-mammal life cycle implies that Y. pestis senses and responds to distinct cues in both host and vector. Among these cues, osmolarity is a fundamental parameter. The plague bacillus lives in a tightly regulated environment in the mammalian host, while osmolarity fluctuates in the flea gut (300-550 mOsM). Here, we review the mechanisms that enable Y. pestis to perceive fluctuations in osmolarity, as well as genomic plasticity and physiological adaptation of the bacterium to this stress.
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11
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Mahmoudi A, Kryštufek B, Sludsky A, Schmid BV, DE Almeida AMP, Lei X, Ramasindrazana B, Bertherat E, Yeszhanov A, Stenseth NC, Mostafavi E. Plague reservoir species throughout the world. Integr Zool 2021; 16:820-833. [PMID: 33264458 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plague has been known since ancient times as a re-emerging infectious disease, causing considerable socioeconomic burden in regional hotspots. To better understand the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the plague, its potential occurrence, and possible future dispersion, one must carefully consider the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological requirements of reservoir-species in relation either to natural or human-driven changes (e.g. climate change or urbanization). In recent years, the depth of knowledge on species taxonomy and species composition in different landscapes has undergone a dramatic expansion, driven by modern taxonomic methods such as synthetic surveys that take into consideration morphology, genetics, and the ecological setting of captured animals to establish their species identities. Here, we consider the recent taxonomic changes of the rodent species in known plague reservoirs and detail their distribution across the world, with a particular focus on those rodents considered to be keystone host species. A complete checklist of all known plague-infectable vertebrates living in plague foci is provided as a Supporting Information table.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Mahmoudi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Urmia University, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Alexander Sludsky
- Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute «Microbe», Saratov, Russian Federation
| | - Boris V Schmid
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Xu Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Eric Bertherat
- Department of Infectious Hazard Management, Health Emergencies Programme, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aidyn Yeszhanov
- M.Aikimbaev's National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
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12
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Peintner L, Wagner E, Shin A, Tukhanova N, Turebekov N, Abdiyeva K, Spaiser O, Serebrennikova Y, Tintrup E, Dmitrovskiy A, Zhalmagambetova A, Frey S, Essbauer SS. Eight Years of Collaboration on Biosafety and Biosecurity Issues Between Kazakhstan and Germany as Part of the German Biosecurity Programme and the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. Front Public Health 2021; 9:649393. [PMID: 34434910 PMCID: PMC8381731 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.649393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2013, the German Federal Foreign Office launched the German Biosecurity Programme with the aim to minimise risks associated with biological substances and pathogens. In this context, the German-Kazakh Network for Biosafety and Biosecurity was established in 2013 and constitutes a successful collaboration between Kazakh and German biomedical organisations, under the co-management of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Ever since then, a network of scientists, stake holders and policymakers has been established, aiming to work on highly pathogenic, potential biological warfare agents with the focus on biosafety and biosecurity, surveillance, detection and diagnostics, networking and awareness raising of these agents in Kazakhstan. Over the past 8 years, the project members trained four PhD candidates, organised over 30 workshops and trainings with more than 250 participants and conducted more than 5,000 PCR assays and 5,000 serological analyses for surveillance. A great success was the description of new endemic areas for Orthohantaviruses, the mixture of two Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus genetic clusters, new foci and genetic information on tick-borne encephalitis virus and rickettsiae in Kazakh oblasts. The latter even led to the description of two new genogroups. Furthermore, joint contributions to international conferences were made. In this report, we summarise the evolution of the German-Kazakh Network for Biosafety and Biosecurity and critically reflect on the strengths and possible weaknesses. We were able to establish a viable network of biosafety and biosecurity shareholders and to accomplish the aims of the German Biosecurity Programme to lower biosecurity risks by increased awareness, improved detection and diagnostic methods and surveillance. Further, we reflect on forthcoming aspects to lead this interstate endeavour into a sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Peintner
- Department of Virology and Intracellular Agents, German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Edith Wagner
- Department of Virology and Intracellular Agents, German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.,Section of Experimental Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Anna Shin
- Central Reference Laboratory, M. Aikimbaev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan.,Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Nur Tukhanova
- Central Reference Laboratory, M. Aikimbaev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan.,Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Nurkeldi Turebekov
- Central Reference Laboratory, M. Aikimbaev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Karlygash Abdiyeva
- Central Reference Laboratory, M. Aikimbaev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Olga Spaiser
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Erik Tintrup
- Division OR12 "Chemical and Biological Weapons, Disarmament, G7 Global Partnership", German Federal Foreign Office, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrey Dmitrovskiy
- Central Reference Laboratory, M. Aikimbaev National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Aliya Zhalmagambetova
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, Berlin, Germany.,Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Stefan Frey
- Department of Virology and Intracellular Agents, German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.,Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection, Munster, Germany
| | - Sandra Simone Essbauer
- Department of Virology and Intracellular Agents, German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
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Fernandes DLRDS, Gomes ECDS, Bezerra MF, e Guimarães RJDPS, de Almeida AMP. Spatiotemporal analysis of bubonic plague in Pernambuco, northeast of Brazil: Case study in the municipality of Exu. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249464. [PMID: 33798208 PMCID: PMC8018616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Along with other countries in America, plague reached Brazil through the sea routes during the third pandemic. A brief ports phase was followed by an urban phase that took place in smaller inland cities and finally, it attained the rural area and established several foci where the ecological conditions were suitable for its continued existence. However, the geographic dispersion of plague in Brazil is still poorly studied. To better understand the disease dynamics, we accessed satellite-based data to trace the spatial occurrence and distribution of human plague cases in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil and using the municipality of Exu as study case area. Along with the satellite data, a historical survey using the Plague Control Program files was applied to characterize the spatial and temporal dispersion of cases in the period of 1945-1976. Kernel density estimation, spatial and temporal clusters with statistical significance and maximum entropy modeling were used for spatial data analysis, by means of the spatial analysis software packages. The use of geostatistical tools allowed evidencing the shift of the infection from the urban to the wild-sylvatic areas and the reemergence of cases after a period of quiescence, independent of the reintroduction from other plague areas.
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History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19. Am J Med 2021; 134:176-181. [PMID: 32979306 PMCID: PMC7513766 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
During the fourteenth century, the bubonic plague or Black Death killed more than one third of Europe or 25 million people. Those afflicted died quickly and horribly from an unseen menace, spiking high fevers with suppurative buboes (swellings). Its causative agent is Yersinia pestis, creating recurrent plague cycles from the Bronze Age into modern-day California and Mongolia. Plague remains endemic in Madagascar, Congo, and Peru. This history of medicine review highlights plague events across the centuries. Transmission is by fleas carried on rats, although new theories include via human body lice and infected grain. We discuss symptomatology and treatment options. Pneumonic plague can be weaponized for bioterrorism, highlighting the importance of understanding its clinical syndromes. Carriers of recessive familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) mutations have natural immunity against Y. pestis. During the Black Death, Jews were blamed for the bubonic plague, perhaps because Jews carried FMF mutations and died at lower plague rates than Christians. Blaming minorities for epidemics echoes across history into our current coronavirus pandemic and provides insightful lessons for managing and improving its outcomes.
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15
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Thompson CW, Phelps KL, Allard MW, Cook JA, Dunnum JL, Ferguson AW, Gelang M, Khan FAA, Paul DL, Reeder DM, Simmons NB, Vanhove MPM, Webala PW, Weksler M, Kilpatrick CW. Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies. mBio 2021; 12:e02698-20. [PMID: 33436435 PMCID: PMC7844540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02698-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being nearly 10 months into the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the definitive animal host for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19, remains unknown. Unfortunately, similar problems exist for other betacoronaviruses, and no vouchered specimens exist to corroborate host species identification for most of these pathogens. This most basic information is critical to the full understanding and mitigation of emerging zoonotic diseases. To overcome this hurdle, we recommend that host-pathogen researchers adopt vouchering practices and collaborate with natural history collections to permanently archive microbiological samples and host specimens. Vouchered specimens and associated samples provide both repeatability and extension to host-pathogen studies, and using them mobilizes a large workforce (i.e., biodiversity scientists) to assist in pandemic preparedness. We review several well-known examples that successfully integrate host-pathogen research with natural history collections (e.g., yellow fever, hantaviruses, helminths). However, vouchering remains an underutilized practice in such studies. Using an online survey, we assessed vouchering practices used by microbiologists (e.g., bacteriologists, parasitologists, virologists) in host-pathogen research. A much greater number of respondents permanently archive microbiological samples than archive host specimens, and less than half of respondents voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. To foster collaborations between microbiologists and natural history collections, we provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies. This integrative approach exemplifies the premise underlying One Health initiatives, providing critical infrastructure for addressing related issues ranging from public health to global climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody W Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Marc W Allard
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jonathan L Dunnum
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Adam W Ferguson
- Gantz Family Collections Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Magnus Gelang
- Gothenburg Natural History Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Deborah L Paul
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
- Species File Group, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Marcelo Weksler
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Luterbacher J, Newfield TP, Xoplaki E, Nowatzki E, Luther N, Zhang M, Khelifi N. Past pandemics and climate variability across the Mediterranean. EURO-MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATION 2020; 5:46. [PMID: 32984502 PMCID: PMC7500992 DOI: 10.1007/s41207-020-00197-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The influence that meteorological, climatological and environmental factors had on historical disease outbreaks is often speculated upon, but little investigated. Here, we explore potential associations between pandemic disease and climate over the last 2,500 years in Mediterranean history, focusing on ancient disease outbreaks and the Justinianic plague in particular. We underscore variation in the quality, quantity and interpretation of written evidence and proxy information from natural archives, the comlexity of identifying and disentangling past climatological and environmental drivers, and the need to integrate diverse methodologies to discern past climate-disease linkages and leverage historical experiences to prepare for the rapid expansion of novel pathogenic diseases. Although the difficulties entailed in establishing historical climate-pandemic linkages persist to the present, this is a research area as urgent as it is complex and historical perspectives are desperately needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Luterbacher
- Science and Innovation Department, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 7bis Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - T. P. Newfield
- Department of History, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC, Washington, DC USA
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, ICC, Washington, DC USA
| | - E. Xoplaki
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
- Centre of International Development and Environmental Research, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - E. Nowatzki
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - N. Luther
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - M. Zhang
- Department of Geography, Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 1, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - N. Khelifi
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Editorial Department, Springer, a Part of Springer Nature, Tiergartenstrasse 17, 69121 Heidelberg, Germany
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Chen FY, Yuan R. Reconsideration of the plague transmission in perspective of multi-host zoonotic disease model with interspecific interaction. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2020; 17:4422-4442. [PMID: 33120511 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2020244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The human-animal interface plays a vital role in the spread of zoonotic diseases, such as plague, which led to the "Black Death", the most serious human disaster in medieval Europe. It is reported that more than 200 mammalian species including human beings are naturally infected with plague. Different species acting as different roles construct the transmission net for Yersinia pestis (plague pathogen), in which rodents are the main natural reservoirs. In previous studies, it focused on individual infection of human or animal, rather than cross-species infection. It is worth noting that rodent competition and human-rodent commensalism are rarely considered in the spread of plague. In order to describe it in more detail, we establish a new multi-host mathematical model to reflect the transmission dynamics of plague with wild rodents, commensal rodents and human beings, in which the roles of different species will no longer be at the same level. Mathematical models in epidemiology can clarify the interaction mechanism between plague hosts and provide a method to reflect the dynamic process of plague transmission more quickly and easily. According to our plague model, we redefine the environmental capacity K with interspecific interaction and obtain the reproduction number of zoonotic diseases RZ0, which is an important threshold value to determine the zoonotic disease to break out or not. At the same time, we analyze the biological implications of zoonotic model, and then study some biological hypotheses that had never been proposed or verified before.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan Chen
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Rong Yuan
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
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Eisen RJ, Atiku LA, Mpanga JT, Enscore RE, Acayo S, Kaggwa J, Yockey BM, Apangu T, Kugeler KJ, Mead PS. An Evaluation of the Flea Index as a Predictor of Plague Epizootics in the West Nile Region of Uganda. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:893-900. [PMID: 31891169 PMCID: PMC7200264 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plague is a low incidence flea-borne zoonosis that is often fatal if treatment is delayed or inadequate. Outbreaks occur sporadically and human cases are often preceded by epizootics among rodents. Early recognition of epizootics coupled with appropriate prevention measures should reduce plague morbidity and mortality. For nearly a century, the flea index (a measure of fleas per host) has been used as a measure of risk for epizootic spread and human plague case occurrence, yet the practicality and effectiveness of its use in surveillance programs has not been evaluated rigorously. We sought to determine whether long-term monitoring of the Xenopsylla flea index on hut-dwelling rats in sentinel villages in the plague-endemic West Nile region of Uganda accurately predicted plague occurrence in the surrounding parish. Based on observations spanning ~6 yr, we showed that on average, the Xenopsylla flea index increased prior to the start of the annual plague season and tended to be higher in years when plague activity was reported in humans or rodents compared with years when it was not. However, this labor-intensive effort had limited spatial coverage and was a poor predictor of plague activity within sentinel parishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Linda A. Atiku
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51–59, Nakiwogo Road, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Joseph T. Mpanga
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51–59, Nakiwogo Road, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Russell E. Enscore
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Sarah Acayo
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51–59, Nakiwogo Road, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - John Kaggwa
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51–59, Nakiwogo Road, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Brook M. Yockey
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Titus Apangu
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Plot 51–59, Nakiwogo Road, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Kiersten J. Kugeler
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Paul S. Mead
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
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Binns C, Low WY. The Year of the Rat and Public Health. Asia Pac J Public Health 2020; 32:6-7. [DOI: 10.1177/1010539520903550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colin Binns
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Wah Yun Low
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Reply to McLean et al.: Collections are critical. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14413. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909035116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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