yersinia

what disease does Yersinia pestis cause?

bubonic plague

what kind of stain gives characteristic results with Yersinia?

bipolar staining with special stains (Giemsa)

stain at either end of the cell and clear in the middle

what animal(s) carry the disease? how is it transmitted?

carried in rodent populations

transmitted by flea bites

bacteria transmitted by the bite will infect macrophages

what are the symptoms of bubonic plague?

fever, chills, fatigue

buboes

bacteria enter the blood in massive numbers

causes rashes that eventually turn necrotic and blacken

what are buboes?

severely swollen lymph nodes that extend very visibly out the skin

is it ever contagious from person to person?

yes! can migrate into the lungs and cause severe pneumonia → pneumonic plague

highly contagious

• airbone

• when a person coughs → other people can inhale Yersinia → they have bubonic plague

what is the treatment for bubonic plague?

sensitive to most antibiotics

treatment must being early!

why is it a concern as a bioweapon?

aerosol form will cause pneumonic plague

1-6 days incubation from infection to disease state

once symptomatic, highly contagious

extremely high mortality