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Zhao Y, Yan Z, Song K, Li Y, Shen L, Cui Y, Du Z, Yang R, Song Y, Jing L, Zhao Y. Development and evaluation of a multi-target droplet digital PCR assay for highly sensitive and specific detection of Yersinia pestis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012167. [PMID: 38701065 PMCID: PMC11095742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is a zoonotic disease that poses considerable threats to human health. Nucleic acid tests are crucial for plague surveillance and the rapid detection of Y. pestis. However, inhibitors in complex samples such as soil and animal tissues often hamper nucleic acid detection, leading to a reduced rate of identifying low concentrations of Y. pestis. To address this challenge, we developed a sensitive and specific droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay for detecting Y. pestis DNA from soil and animal tissue samples. METHODS Three genes (ypo2088, caf1, and pla) from Y. pestis were used to develop a multi-target ddPCR assay. The limits of detection (LoD), reproducibility, and specificity were assessed for bacterial genomic DNA samples. The ability of the assay to detect low concentrations of Y. pestis DNA from simulated soil and mouse liver tissue samples was respectively evaluated and compared with that of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). RESULTS The results showed that the ddPCR LoDs ranged from 6.2 to 15.4 copies/reaction for the target genes, with good reproducibility and high specificity for Y. pestis. By testing 130 soil and mouse liver tissue samples spiked with Y. pestis, the ddPCR assay exhibited a better sensitivity than that of the qPCR assay used in the study, with LoDs of 102 colony forming units (CFU)/100 mg soil and 103 CFU/20 mg liver. Moreover, the assay presented good quantitative linearity (R2 = 0.99) for Y. pestis at 103-106 CFU/sample for soil and liver samples. CONCLUSION The ddPCR assay presented good performance for detecting Y. pestis DNA from soil and mouse tissue samples, showing great potential for improving the detection rate of low concentrations of Y. pestis in plague surveillance and facilitating the early diagnosis of plague cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Zhao
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ziheng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Leiming Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zongmin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of POCT for Bioemergency and Clinic, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of POCT for Bioemergency and Clinic, Beijing, China
| | - Yajun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of POCT for Bioemergency and Clinic, Beijing, China
| | - Lan Jing
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of POCT for Bioemergency and Clinic, Beijing, China
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2
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Böhringer M. Letter to the Editor. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 109:102186. [PMID: 38643634 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Böhringer
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Naumburger Strasse 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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Harimalala M, Rakotobe Harimanana R, Azali Hamza A, Girod R. Surveillance of Fleas and Their Small Mammal Hosts for Plague Risks in Some Main Seaports of the Islands of the Southwestern Indian Ocean. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:311-319. [PMID: 38167314 PMCID: PMC10859806 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Since ancient times, seaports have been the hot spots for plague introduction into free countries. Infected ship rats reached new areas, and epizootics occurred prior to human infection via flea bites. Beginning in the 1920s/1930s, rodent and flea surveillance was carried out as part of plague hazard management in seaports of the world. Nowadays, such activity is not done regularly. In the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) region, plague surveillance is of great importance given plague endemicity in Madagascar and thus the incurred risk for neighboring islands. This study reports animal-based surveillance aimed at identifying fleas and their small mammal hosts in SWIO seaports as well as Yersinia pestis detection. Small mammal trappings were performed in five main seaports of Madagascar (Toamasina and Mahajanga), Mauritius (Port Louis), and the Union of Comoros (Moroni and Mutsamudu). Mammals were euthanized and their fleas collected and morphologically identified before Y. pestis detection. In total, 145 mammals were trapped: the brown rat Rattus norvegicus (76.5%), the black rat Rattus rattus (8.3%), and the Asian house shrew Suncus murinus (15.2%). Fur brushing allowed collection of 1,596 fleas exclusively identified as Xenopsylla cheopis. All tested fleas were negative for Y. pestis DNA. This study shows that both well-known plague mammal hosts and flea vectors occur in SWIO seaports. It also highlights the necessity of carrying out regular animal-based surveillance for plague hazard management in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Harimalala
- Medical Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Abdou Azali Hamza
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, la Pêche et l’Environnement, Moroni, Comoros
| | - Romain Girod
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, la Pêche et l’Environnement, Moroni, Comoros
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4
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Naveed M, Makhdoom SI, Abbas G, Safdari M, Farhadi A, Habtemariam S, Shabbir MA, Jabeen K, Asif MF, Tehreem S. The Virulent Hypothetical Proteins: The Potential Drug Target Involved in Bacterial Pathogenesis. Mini Rev Med Chem 2022; 22:2608-2623. [DOI: 10.2174/1389557522666220413102107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:
Hypothetical proteins (HPs) are non-predicted sequences that are identified only by open reading frames in sequenced genomes but their protein products remain uncharacterized by any experimental means. The genome of every species consists of HPs that are involved in various cellular processes and signaling pathways. Annotation of HPs is important as they play a key role in disease mechanisms, drug designing, vaccine production, antibiotic production, and host adaptation. In the case of bacteria, 25-50% of the genome comprises of HPs, which are involved in metabolic pathways and pathogenesis. The characterization of bacterial HPs helps to identify virulent proteins that are involved in pathogenesis. This can be done using in-silico studies, which provide sequence analogs, physiochemical properties, cellular or subcellular localization, structure and function validation, and protein-protein interactions. The most diverse types of virulent proteins are exotoxins, endotoxins, and adherent virulent factors that are encoded by virulent genes present on the chromosomal DNA of the bacteria. This review evaluates virulent HPs of pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Yersinia pestis. The potential of these HPs as a drug target in bacteria-caused infectious diseases along with the mode of action and treatment approaches have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Naveed
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Syeda Izma Makhdoom
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Abbas
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mohammadreza Safdari
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Amin Farhadi
- Kavian Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Solomon Habtemariam
- Pharmacognosy Research Laboratories & Herbal Analysis Services UK, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus-Science, Grenville Building (G102/G107), Central Avenue, Chatham-Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Muhammad Aqib Shabbir
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Khizra Jabeen
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farrukh Asif
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Sana Tehreem
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
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Merold V, Silberreis K, Stoecker K. Development and Validation of Ribosomal RNA-Targeted Reverse Transcription Real-Time PCR Assays for the Sensitive and Rapid Diagnostics of High Consequence Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:738868. [PMID: 34777285 PMCID: PMC8589101 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.738868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time PCR (rtPCR) has become an essential tool in clinical microbiology and has been used for the acute diagnostics of many pathogens. Key performance indicators of rtPCR assays are their specificity as well as their analytical and clinical sensitivity. One way to maximize the sensitivity of such diagnostic rtPCRs is the use of genomic targets, which are present in several copies in the target cells. Here, we use the naturally pre-amplified ribosomal RNA as target for specific and highly sensitive reverse-transcription rtPCR detection of two high consequence pathogens, Yersinia pestis and Francisella tularensis. We determined their analytical sensitivity and illustrate that the newly designed assays are superior compared with other previous published rtPCR assays. Furthermore, we used spiked clinical sample matrices to evaluate their clinical applicability. Finally, we demonstrate that these assays can be applied on heat-inactivated samples without the need of time-consuming nucleic acid extraction.
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Singh R, Pal V, Kumar M, Tripathi NK, Goel AK. Development of a PCR-lateral flow assay for rapid detection of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. Acta Trop 2021; 220:105958. [PMID: 34004173 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative, rod shaped coccobacillus, which is primarily found in rodents and can be transmitted to humans through flea bite. The disease has three major clinical forms bubonic (by flea bite), pneumonic (by respiratory droplets) and septicemic plague. Y. pestis is classified as a category 'A' agent by NIAID, USA due to its high mortality and easy person to person dissemination. The conventional diagnostic methods available for Y. pestis show cross-reactivity with other enteropathogenic bacteria making its detection difficult. There is a need to develop sensitive and specific molecular assay for accurate detection of Y. pestis. PCR is well suited molecular biology tool for rapid diagnosis of plague but after completion of thermal cycling steps, it requires additional time to analyze amplified product using agarose gel electrophoresis. In the present study, PCR assay coupled with lateral flow strips has been developed for rapid detection of Y. pestis. Lateral flow strips give an alternative to gel electrophoresis and permit easy and rapid detection of PCR products. The PCR was performed with 5' 6-FAM and biotin tagged primers specific for Y. pestis, targeting yihN gene located on chromosome. The PCR product was analyzed using lateral flow strips which yielded result within 2-3 minutes. The analytical sensitivity of PCR-lateral flow (PCR-LF) assay was 1 pg genomic DNA of Y. pestis and 500 copies of target DNA sequence harboured in a recombinant plasmid. The assay could detect Y. pestis DNA extracted from spiked human blood samples containing ≥104 CFU per mL of bacteria. The assay was found to be specific and did not cross react with other closely related bacterial species. The developed assay was highly specific, sensitive and also did not require agarose gel electrophoresis for post amplification analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Singh
- Bioprocess Technology Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Vijai Pal
- Bioprocess Technology Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India.
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Bioprocess Technology Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - N K Tripathi
- Bioprocess Technology Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - A K Goel
- Bioprocess Technology Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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8
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Müller K, Daßen S, Holowachuk S, Zwirglmaier K, Stehr J, Buersgens F, Ullerich L, Stoecker K. Pulse-Controlled Amplification-A new powerful tool for on-site diagnostics under resource limited conditions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009114. [PMID: 33513140 PMCID: PMC7875409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Molecular diagnostics has become essential in the identification of many infectious and neglected diseases, and the detection of nucleic acids often serves as the gold standard technique for most infectious agents. However, established techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are time-consuming laboratory-bound techniques while rapid tests such as Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic tests often lack the required sensitivity and/or specificity. Methods/Principle findings Here we present an affordable, highly mobile alternative method for the rapid identification of infectious agents using pulse-controlled amplification (PCA). PCA is a next generation nucleic acid amplification technology that uses rapid energy pulses to heat microcyclers (micro-scale metal heating elements embedded directly in the amplification reaction) for a few microseconds, thus only heating a small fraction of the reaction volume. The heated microcyclers cool off nearly instantaneously, resulting in ultra-fast heating and cooling cycles during which classic amplification of a target sequence takes place. This reduces the overall amplification time by a factor of up to 10, enabling a sample-to-result workflow in just 15 minutes, while running on a small and portable prototype device. In this proof of principle study, we designed a PCA-assay for the detection of Yersinia pestis to demonstrate the efficacy of this technology. The observed detection limits were 434 copies per reaction (purified DNA) and 35 cells per reaction (crude sample) respectively of Yersinia pestis. Conclusions/Significance PCA offers fast and decentralized molecular diagnostics and is applicable whenever rapid, on-site detection of infectious agents is needed, even under resource limited conditions. It combines the sensitivity and specificity of PCR with the rapidness and simplicity of hitherto existing rapid tests. Rapid and reliable on-site diagnostics are an essential part of infectious disease outbreak response and the fight against neglected tropical diseases. In this respect, molecular diagnostics represents the current gold standard. However, the vast majority of current molecular diagnostic methods (such as Polymerase Chain Reaction) are lab-bound techniques, require expensive and heavy instrumentation and are time consuming to perform. Moreover, in resource limited countries with little or no infrastructure, samples often have to be transported over long distances to the few reference laboratories capable of such diagnostics. This significantly slows down the entire diagnostic process, thus considerably delaying important decisions necessary to contain outbreaks and to initiate medical countermeasures. Until now, there are only few rapid on-site diagnostic tests for a limited number of infectious agents available and they often lack sensitivity and/or specificity. Here we present a new technology–pulse-controlled amplification–which enables rapid (<20minutes) and portable, yet sensitive and specific on-site molecular diagnostics based on nucleic acid amplification. The device we developed is lightweight, battery operated and we demonstrate that our tests can be performed under resource limited conditions and without nucleic acid extraction, even when wearing full personal protective equipment. Thus, molecular diagnostics can be carried out on-site in a non-laboratory environment without the need for nucleic acid extraction. We envision that this new technology has the potential to become a gold standard method in nucleic acid detection for front-line and in-field applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Scott Holowachuk
- Defence Research and Development Canada Suffield Centre, Department of National Defence, Suffield, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Kilian Stoecker
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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10
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Sebbane F, Uversky VN, Anisimov AP. Yersinia pestis Plasminogen Activator. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1554. [PMID: 33202679 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis causes plague, a fatal flea-borne anthropozoonosis, which can progress to aerosol-transmitted pneumonia. Y. pestis overcomes the innate immunity of its host thanks to many pathogenicity factors, including plasminogen activator, Pla. This factor is a broad-spectrum outer membrane protease also acting as adhesin and invasin. Y. pestis uses Pla adhesion and proteolytic capacity to manipulate the fibrinolytic cascade and immune system to produce bacteremia necessary for pathogen transmission via fleabite or aerosols. Because of microevolution, Y. pestis invasiveness has increased significantly after a single amino-acid substitution (I259T) in Pla of one of the oldest Y. pestis phylogenetic groups. This mutation caused a better ability to activate plasminogen. In paradox with its fibrinolytic activity, Pla cleaves and inactivates the tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), a key inhibitor of the coagulation cascade. This function in the plague remains enigmatic. Pla (or pla) had been used as a specific marker of Y. pestis, but its solitary detection is no longer valid as this gene is present in other species of Enterobacteriaceae. Though recovering hosts generate anti-Pla antibodies, Pla is not a good subunit vaccine. However, its deletion increases the safety of attenuated Y. pestis strains, providing a means to generate a safe live plague vaccine.
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Barbieri R, Drancourt M, Raoult D. The role of louse-transmitted diseases in historical plague pandemics. Lancet Infect Dis 2020; 21:e17-e25. [PMID: 33035476 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30487-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The rodent-murine ectoparasite-human model of plague transmission does not correspond with historical details around plague pandemics in Europe. New analysis of ancient genomes reveal that Yersinia pestis was unable to be transmitted by rat fleas until around 4000 Before Present, which challenges the rodent-murine ectoparasite-human model of plague transmission and historical details around plague pandemics in Europe. In this Review, we summarise data regarding Y pestis transmission by human lice in the context of genomic evolution and co-transmission of other major epidemic deadly pathogens throughout human history, with the aim of broadening our view of plague transmission. Experimental models support the efficiency of human lice as plague vectors through infected faeces, which suggest that Y pestis could be a louse-borne disease, similar to Borrelia recurrentis, Rickettsia prowazekii, and Bartonella quintana. Studies have shown that louse-borne outbreaks often involve multiple pathogens, and several cases of co-transmission of Y pestis and B quintana have been reported. Furthermore, an exclusive louse-borne bacterium, namely B recurrentis, was found to be circulating in northern Europe during the second plague pandemic (14th-18th century). Current data make it possible to attribute large historical pandemics to multiple bacteria, and suggests that human lice probably played a preponderant role in the interhuman transmission of plague and pathogen co-transmission during previous large epidemics, including plague pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Barbieri
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Établissement Français du Sang, Anthropologie Bio-culturelle, Droit, Éthique et Santé, Marseille, France; Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Michel Drancourt
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; Fondation Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.
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12
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Brinkerhoff RJ, Rinsland HS, Sato S, Maruyama S, Ray C. Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ectoparasites Collected from High-Elevation Pika Populations. Ecohealth 2020; 17:333-344. [PMID: 33200238 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01495-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The American pika, Ochotona princeps, is projected to decline throughout North America as climate change reduces its range, and pikas have already disappeared from several locations. In addition to climate, disease spillover from lower elevation mammalian species might affect pikas. We sampled pika fleas in Colorado and Montana across elevations ranging from 2896 to 3612 m and screened them for the presence of DNA from rodent-associated bacterial pathogens (Bartonella species and Yersinia pestis) to test the hypothesis that flea exchange between pikas and rodents may lead to occurrence of rodent-associated pathogens in pika ectoparasites. We collected 275 fleas from 74 individual pikas at 5 sites in Colorado and one site in Montana. We found that 5.5% of 275 pika fleas in this study tested positive for rodent-associated Bartonella DNA but that variation in Bartonella infection prevalence in fleas among sites was not driven by elevation. Specifically, we detected DNA sequences from two loci (gltA and rpoB) that are most similar to Bartonella grahamii isolates collected from rodents in Canada. We did not detect Y. pestis DNA in our survey. Our results demonstrate evidence of rodent-associated flea-borne bacteria in pika fleas. These findings are also consistent with the hypothesis that rodent-associated pathogens could be acquired by pikas. Flea-borne pathogen spillover from rodents to pikas has the potential to exacerbate the more direct effects of climate that have been suggested to drive pika declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
| | | | - Shingo Sato
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Soichi Maruyama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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13
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Salam AP, Raberahona M, Andriantsalama P, Read L, Andrianarintsiferantsoa F, Razafinambinintsoa T, Rakotomalala R, Hasiniatsy RNE, Razafimandimby D, Castle L, Funk A, Mangahasimbola RT, Renaud B, Bertherat E, Lovering A, Heraud JM, Andrianaivoarimanana V, Frédérique R, Razanajatovo N, Baril L, Fontanet A, Rajerison M, Horby P, Randria M, Randremanana R. Factors Influencing Atypical Clinical Presentations during the 2017 Madagascar Pneumonic Plague Outbreak: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:1309-1315. [PMID: 32274983 PMCID: PMC7253123 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In late 2017, Madagascar experienced a large urban outbreak of pneumonic plague, the largest outbreak to date this century. During the outbreak, there were widespread reports of plague patients presenting with atypical symptoms, such as prolonged duration of illness and upper respiratory tract symptoms. Reported mortality among plague cases was also substantially lower than that reported in the literature (25% versus 50% in treated patients). A prospective multicenter observational study was carried out to investigate potential reasons for these atypical presentations. Few subjects among our cohort had confirmed or probable plague, suggesting that, in part, there was overdiagnosis of plague cases by clinicians. However, 35% subjects reported using an antibiotic with anti-plague activity before hospital admission, whereas 55% had antibiotics with anti-plague activity detected in their serum at admission. Although there may have been overdiagnosis of plague by clinicians during the outbreak, the high frequency of community antibiotic may partly explain the relatively few culture-positive sputum samples during the outbreak. Community antibiotic use may have also altered the clinical presentation of plague patients. These issues make accurate detection of patients and the development of clinical case definitions and triage algorithms in urban pneumonic plague outbreaks difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex P Salam
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,United Kingdom Public Health Rapid Support Team, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Liam Read
- North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Funk
- Institut Pasteur Paris, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Laurence Baril
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Arnaud Fontanet
- Institut Pasteur Paris, Paris, France.,Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
| | | | - Peter Horby
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mamy Randria
- Centre Hospitalier Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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14
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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15
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Harimalala M, Rahelinirina S, Girod R. Presence of the Oriental Rat Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Infesting an Endemic Mammal and Confirmed Plague Circulation in a Forest Area of Madagascar. J Med Entomol 2020; 57:1318-1323. [PMID: 32101616 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild 1903), is a cosmopolitan flea usually found infesting domestic rats. This flea is a well-known major human plague vector in Madagascar. As part of field sampling, fleas and small mammals were collected in the village of South Andranofeno and the natural reserve of Sohisika, two sites of the district of Ankazobe, located in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Rats inside houses and forest small mammals were trapped using Besancon Technical Services and pitfall traps, respectively. Their fleas were collected and preserved for laboratory works. Collected fleas from the village and forest belonged to five species, which were X. cheopis, Synopsyllus fonquerniei (Wagner and Roubaud 1932) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Echidnophaga gallinacea (Westwood 1875) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Ctenocephalides felisstrongylus (Jordan 1925) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), Pulex irritans (Linnaeus 1758) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). After sampling in the forest zone, one specimen of X. cheopis was unexpectedly collected while infesting an endemic tenrec Setifer setosus (Schreber 1777) (Afrosoricida: Tenrecidae). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis on all collected fleas allowed detecting plague bacterium Yersinia pestis (Lehmann and Neumann 1896) (Enterobacterales: Yersiniaceae) on nine specimens of the endemic flea S. fonquerniei collected inside forest. The presence of the oriental rat flea in forest highlights the connection between human and wild environments due to animal movements and the fact that the rat flea can infest various hosts. As only one specimen of X. cheopis was collected on S. setosus, we hypothesize that flea was carried from the village to forest. Yersinia pestis infection of forest fleas outlines plague circulation in this sylvatic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Harimalala
- Medical Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, Madagascar
| | | | - Romain Girod
- Medical Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Ambatofotsikely, Madagascar
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16
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Liccioli S, Stephens T, Wilson SC, McPherson JM, Keating LM, Antonation KS, Bollinger TK, Corbett CR, Gummer DL, Lindsay LR, Galloway TD, Shury TK, Moehrenschlager A. Enzootic maintenance of sylvatic plague in Canada's threatened black‐tailed prairie dog ecosystem. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Liccioli
- Grasslands National Park Parks Canada Agency P.O. Box 150 Val Marie Saskatchewan S0N2T0 Canada
| | - Tara Stephens
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society 1300 Zoo Road N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 7V6 Canada
| | - Sian C. Wilson
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society 1300 Zoo Road N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 7V6 Canada
| | - Jana M. McPherson
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society 1300 Zoo Road N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 7V6 Canada
| | - Laura M. Keating
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society 1300 Zoo Road N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 7V6 Canada
| | - Kym S. Antonation
- Bioforensics Assay Development and Diagnostics National Microbiology Laboratory Public Health Agency of Canada 1015 Arlington Street Winnipeg Manitoba R3E 3R2 Canada
| | - Trent K. Bollinger
- Department of Veterinary Pathology Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative 52 Campus Drive Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 Canada
| | - Cindi R. Corbett
- Bioforensics Assay Development and Diagnostics National Microbiology Laboratory Public Health Agency of Canada 1015 Arlington Street Winnipeg Manitoba R3E 3R2 Canada
| | - David L. Gummer
- Natural Resource Management Branch Parks Canada Agency 720 – 220 4 Avenue SE Calgary Alberta T2G 4X3 Canada
| | - L. Robbin Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens National Microbiology Laboratory Public Health Agency of Canada 1015 Arlington Street Winnipeg Manitoba R3E 3R2 Canada
| | - Terry D. Galloway
- Department of Entomology Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences University of Manitoba 12 Dafoe Road Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Todd K. Shury
- Parks Canada Agency 52 Campus Drive Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 Canada
| | - Axel Moehrenschlager
- Centre for Conservation Research Calgary Zoological Society 1300 Zoo Road N.E. Calgary Alberta T2E 7V6 Canada
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17
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Keller M, Spyrou MA, Scheib CL, Neumann GU, Kröpelin A, Haas-Gebhard B, Päffgen B, Haberstroh J, Ribera I Lacomba A, Raynaud C, Cessford C, Durand R, Stadler P, Nägele K, Bates JS, Trautmann B, Inskip SA, Peters J, Robb JE, Kivisild T, Castex D, McCormick M, Bos KI, Harbeck M, Herbig A, Krause J. Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from across Western Europe reveal early diversification during the First Pandemic (541-750). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12363-12372. [PMID: 31164419 PMCID: PMC6589673 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820447116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The first historically documented pandemic caused by Yersinia pestis began as the Justinianic Plague in 541 within the Roman Empire and continued as the so-called First Pandemic until 750. Although paleogenomic studies have previously identified the causative agent as Y. pestis, little is known about the bacterium's spread, diversity, and genetic history over the course of the pandemic. To elucidate the microevolution of the bacterium during this time period, we screened human remains from 21 sites in Austria, Britain, Germany, France, and Spain for Y. pestis DNA and reconstructed eight genomes. We present a methodological approach assessing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ancient bacterial genomes, facilitating qualitative analyses of low coverage genomes from a metagenomic background. Phylogenetic analysis on the eight reconstructed genomes reveals the existence of previously undocumented Y. pestis diversity during the sixth to eighth centuries, and provides evidence for the presence of multiple distinct Y. pestis strains in Europe. We offer genetic evidence for the presence of the Justinianic Plague in the British Isles, previously only hypothesized from ambiguous documentary accounts, as well as the parallel occurrence of multiple derived strains in central and southern France, Spain, and southern Germany. Four of the reported strains form a polytomy similar to others seen across the Y. pestis phylogeny, associated with the Second and Third Pandemics. We identified a deletion of a 45-kb genomic region in the most recent First Pandemic strains affecting two virulence factors, intriguingly overlapping with a deletion found in 17th- to 18th-century genomes of the Second Pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Keller
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany;
- State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy Munich, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Maria A Spyrou
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Christiana L Scheib
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Gunnar U Neumann
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Kröpelin
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Bernd Päffgen
- Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Haberstroh
- Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Claude Raynaud
- CNRS, UMR5140, Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes, 34199 Montpellier, France
| | - Craig Cessford
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaël Durand
- Service d'Archéologie Préventive de l'Agglomération de Bourges Plus, 18023 Bourges Cedex, France
| | - Peter Stadler
- Department of Pre- and Protohistory, University of Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Nägele
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jessica S Bates
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
| | - Bernd Trautmann
- State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy Munich, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah A Inskip
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
| | - Joris Peters
- State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy Munich, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, 80333 Munich, Germany
- ArchaeoBioCenter, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - John E Robb
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
| | - Toomas Kivisild
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, United Kingdom
- Department of Human Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Michael McCormick
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past, Department of History, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten I Bos
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy Munich, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, 80333 Munich, Germany;
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Johannes Krause
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany;
- Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean, 07745 Jena, Germany
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18
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Banada PP, Deshpande S, Banik S, Shah D, Koshy R, Patel B, Kwiatkowski R, Persing D, Alland D. Multiplex Detection of Three Select Agents Directly from Blood by Use of the GeneXpert System. J Clin Microbiol 2019; 57:e00036-19. [PMID: 30842226 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00036-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis, Bacillus anthracis, and Yersinia pestis are tier 1 select agents with the potential to rapidly cause severe disease. Rapid detection of these bacteria from patient samples at the point of care could contribute to improved clinical outcomes in the event of a bioterrorism attack. A multiplex nested PCR assay for detection of F. tularensis, B. anthracis, and Y. pestis directly from patient blood samples was developed using the GeneXpert system. The multiplex GeneXpert cartridge-based assay includes all necessary sample processing and amplification reagents. Blood samples spiked with different numbers of CFU were used to measure the analytical limit of detection (LOD) and dynamic range. Sensitivity was determined by testing spiked blood samples and negative-control blood in a blind manner. Specificity was determined by testing against nontarget pathogens and blood samples from clinical patients. The assay LOD was 8.5 CFU/ml for F. tularensis, 10 CFU/ml for B. anthracis, and 4.5 CFU/ml for Y. pestis The sensitivity was 100% at the LOD for all three select agent bacteria in spiked patient blood samples. The assay specificity was 100% when it was tested against both nontarget pathogens and clinical patient blood samples. The total assay time was approximately 100 min. This automated assay, which is suitable for use at the point of care, identifies three select agents directly in blood without the need for enrichment with a high sensitivity within 100 min. This assay may enable rapid detection and treatment of patients infected with the target organisms in the event of a bioterrorism attack.
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19
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Demeure CE, Dussurget O, Mas Fiol G, Le Guern AS, Savin C, Pizarro-Cerdá J. Yersinia pestis and plague: an updated view on evolution, virulence determinants, immune subversion, vaccination, and diagnostics. Genes Immun 2019; 20:357-70. [PMID: 30940874 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-019-0065-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Plague is a vector-borne disease caused by Yersinia pestis. Transmitted by fleas from rodent reservoirs, Y. pestis emerged <6000 years ago from an enteric bacterial ancestor through events of gene gain and genome reduction. It is a highly remarkable model for the understanding of pathogenic bacteria evolution, and a major concern for public health as highlighted by recent human outbreaks. A complex set of virulence determinants, including the Yersinia outer-membrane proteins (Yops), the broad-range protease Pla, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and iron capture systems play critical roles in the molecular strategies that Y. pestis employs to subvert the human immune system, allowing unrestricted bacterial replication in lymph nodes (bubonic plague) and in lungs (pneumonic plague). Some of these immunogenic proteins as well as the capsular antigen F1 are exploited for diagnostic purposes, which are critical in the context of the rapid onset of death in the absence of antibiotic treatment (less than a week for bubonic plague and <48 h for pneumonic plague). Here, we review recent research advances on Y. pestis evolution, virulence factor function, bacterial strategies to subvert mammalian innate immune responses, vaccination, and problems associated with pneumonic plague diagnosis.
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20
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Bramanti B, Zedda N, Rinaldo N, Gualdi-Russo E. A critical review of anthropological studies on skeletons from European plague pits of different epochs. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17655. [PMID: 30518882 PMCID: PMC6281611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36201-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In historical times, plague epidemics intermittently ravaged Europe for more than 1,400 years, and still represent a threat in many countries all over the world. A debate is ongoing about the past plague, if it killed randomly in a population or discriminated among persons on the basis of their biological features. To address questions of plague lethality, we reviewed a large number of anthropological studies published in the last twenty years on victims of the past pestilences in Europe. In particular, we focused on data concerning demography (age at death and sex determination), and health status (skeletal biomarkers). We applied to these data a model system based on Multiple Linear Regression, which aimed to discern among possible predictors of sex-selective plague lethality in entire populations, in different periods and regions. Based on available data, we lack evidence for general trends of association between biological features. Differences in sex ratio are more likely due to the original population compositions or to distinct cultural behaviours of the two genders. We concluded that generalizations on biological evidence are not feasible for ancient plagues if we exclude that the infection possibly killed primarily persons between 5-10 and 20-35 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bramanti
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - N Zedda
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - N Rinaldo
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - E Gualdi-Russo
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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21
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Jalal MS, Islam MZ, Dutta A, Dhar PK, Das A, Hasan MM, Barua H, Biswas PK, Ahad A. Antibiotic resistant zoonotic bacteria in Irrawaddy squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus). Vet Med Sci 2018; 5:260-268. [PMID: 30488592 PMCID: PMC6556763 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Irrawaddy squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) may play an important role in the transmission of zoonotic bacteria, but little is known about the carriage of zoonotic bacteria in this common frugivorous rodent in Bangladesh. We aimed to investigate the presence of common zoonotic bacterial pathogens in Irrawaddy squirrel in the southeast part of Bangladesh. A total of 27 rectal and 27 oro‐nasal swabs were collected from 27 healthy wild Irrawaddy squirrels. Four common zoonotic bacteria were isolated following routine laboratory procedures, and were identified based on colony morphology, and biochemical and staining properties. The pathogenic potential of the identified bacteria was confirmed by detection of virulence genes by PCR. All isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test against seven antibiotics from six generic groups which are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine in Bangladesh. The prevalence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Yersinia spp. and Staphylococcus spp. was 44.4% (95% CI, 32.0–57.6), 13% (95% CI, 6.1–24.7), 44.4% (95% CI, 32.0–57.6), and 72.2% (95% CI, 59.0–82.5), respectively. We identified potential zoonotic virulence genes in all of these four bacterial species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed the presence of several multidrug resistant bacterial strains in squirrels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in Bangladesh of the detection of antibiotic resistant zoonotic bacteria in Irrawaddy squirrels. The findings underpin the role of Irrawaddy squirrel as a source of pathogenic antibiotic resistant bacteria, consequently, fruit rejected because of squirrel consumption and squirrel‐bites deserve more concern than previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shah Jalal
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Md Zohorul Islam
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh.,Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Avijit Dutta
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Pangkaj Kumar Dhar
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Avijit Das
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Mahbub Hasan
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Himel Barua
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Paritosh Kumar Biswas
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh.,Poultry Research and Training Center, CVASU, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Abdul Ahad
- Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh
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22
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Abstract
Plague, a deadly zoonose caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been firmly documented in 39 historical burial sites in Eurasia that date from the Bronze Age to two historical pandemics spanning the 6th to 18th centuries. Palaeomicrobiologic data, including gene and spacer sequences, whole genome sequences and protein data, confirmed that two historical pandemics swept over Europe from probable Asian sources and possible two-way-ticket journeys back from Europe to Asia. These investigations made it possible to address questions regarding the potential sources and routes of transmission by completing the standard rodent and rodent-flea transmission scheme. This suggested that plague was transmissible by human ectoparasites such as lice, and that Y. pestis was able to persist for months in the soil, which is a source of reinfection for burrowing mammals. The analyses of seven complete genome sequences from the Bronze Age indicated that Y. pestis was probably not an ectoparasite-borne pathogen in these populations. Further analyses of 14 genomes indicated that the Justinian pandemic strains may have formed a clade distinct from the one responsible for the second pandemic, spanning in Y. pestis branch 1, which also comprises the third pandemic strains. Further palaeomicrobiologic studies must tightly connect with historical and anthropologic studies to resolve questions regarding the actual sources of plague in ancient populations, alternative routes of transmission and resistance traits. Answering these questions will broaden our understanding of plague epidemiology so we may better face the actuality of this deadly infection in countries where it remains epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Drancourt
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, IRD, URMITE, Marseille, France
| | - D Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, IRD, URMITE, Marseille, France.
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23
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Giles TA, Greenwood AD, Tsangaras K, Giles TC, Barrow PA, Hannant D, Abu-Median AB, Yon L. Detection of a Yersinia pestis gene homologue in rodent samples. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2216. [PMID: 27602258 PMCID: PMC4991868 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A homologue to a widely used genetic marker, pla, for Yersinia pestis has been identified in tissue samples of two species of rat (Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) and of mice (Mus musculus and Apodemus sylvaticus) using a microarray based platform to screen for zoonotic pathogens of interest. Samples were from urban locations in the UK (Liverpool) and Canada (Vancouver). The results indicate the presence of an unknown bacterium that shares a homologue for the pla gene of Yersinia pestis, so caution should be taken when using this gene as a diagnostic marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Giles
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research,Berlin,Germany; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin,Berlin,Germany
| | - Kyriakos Tsangaras
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research,Berlin,Germany; Department of Translational Genetics, Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics,Nicosia,Cyprus
| | - Tom C Giles
- The Advanced Data Analysis Centre, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan Hannant
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Abu-Bakr Abu-Median
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Yon
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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