Latest news with #plague
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Scientists find that the bacteria behind the plague evolved to be less deadly
Research has found that the bacteria that cause the plague evolved to become less deadly over time. This allowed it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than 1,000 years. The first plague pandemic struck in the 500s and lasted for around 200 years. The Black Death began in the mid-1300s. It was the deadliest pandemic in human history. It killed up to half of the people in Europe, western Asia and Africa, with outbreaks continuing for centuries. The third plague pandemic broke out in China in the 1850s and continues today, with some cases still being recorded in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. 'It's important to know how these outbreaks spread,' said Javier Pizarro-Cerda. He is a microbiologist at France's Pasteur Institute and co-author of a study published in May. Pizarro-Cerda and his team studied Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that cause the plague. They looked at samples from every time the pandemic happened. In all three cases, the bacteria evolved to become weaker and less deadly. By causing less severe infections, the bacteria likely made the pandemics last longer, giving them more opportunity to spread from person to person. The researchers confirmed this theory by infecting rats with recent plague samples. They found that if the plague was less harmful, the rats stayed sick for a longer time. While antibiotics can now fight off the plague, the research could help us understand how other pandemics might evolve. This will allow scientists to come up with better ways to protect humans from future plagues.
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
The black plague is still killing people in 2025
President Donald Trump was swept into office promising to Make America Healthy Again. Now his controversial Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, must contend with the return of the Black Death. The plague that killed millions in Medieval Europe and Asia has claimed a life in Arizona. It's the first fatality for the condition in that state for more than 18 years. And it's a stark reminder that the bacteria behind the deadly disease is deeply entrenched in the US heartland. It involved the plague's most deadly incarnation. 'The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person,' says Western Sydney University microbiology expert Thomas Jeffries. 'But there's no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.' Only 14 people have died of plague in the US in the past 25 years. But pneumonic plague is the most severe of the plague's three forms. All are caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria. Bubonic plague presents with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit and neck. Septicaemic plague puts the body into shock and is characterised by blackening of the fingers, toes, and nose. Both are usually caused by bites from fleas carrying the bacteria, and fatality rates vary between 30 and 60 per cent. Pneumonic plague is caused when tiny airborne droplets carry the bacteria into the lungs. There, it reproduces rapidly while attacking its host's immune system. If left untreated, the fatality rate can be as high as 100 per cent. But modern medicine has advanced considerably since medieval times. 'Plague can evoke a very emotional reaction, as many people associate plague with the Black Death, which ravaged Europe and killed millions in the 1300s,' infectious disease expert Dr Shirin Mazumder told US media. 'Although plague-related fatalities can occur, they are very uncommon, and we have highly effective antibiotic therapy to treat plague if diagnosed early.' Historic potential The 2020 COVID pandemic was caused when the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutated enough to find humans to be hospitable hosts. Similar mutations have emerged among Yersinia pestis strains over the centuries. 'This disease is one of the most important in history,' argues Jeffries. 'The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire. 'The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe's population. 'The third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.' However, the discovery that the cause was a flea-inhabiting bacterium has resulted in the disease being largely suppressed. 'As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here,' Jeffries states. 'Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.' However, sporadic outbreaks persist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Peru, India, Central Asia, and the US, as the disease is entrenched in local rodent populations. And a fresh outbreak of plague would be a severe test of Health Secretary Kennedy's MAHA agenda. Kennedy has a long history of supporting unsubstantiated health conspiracies. He has argued that COVID-19 discriminated between ethnic groups. He has linked tap water to transgender children. He has claimed 'miasma' (a medieval term for pollutants and bad smells) is just as deadly as viruses and bacteria. 'Miasma theory emphasises preventing disease by fortifying the immune system through nutrition and reducing exposures to environmental toxins and stresses,' Kennedy wrote in his book, The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health. Since taking office in February, the former environmental lawyer has cut thousands of jobs in his Department of Health and Human Services and shut down several advisory bodies and health programs at the Centres for Disease Control (CDC). Known unknowns 'The only means to fight a plague is honesty,' Kennedy, 71, stated in The Real Anthony Fauci. But few details about the Arizona plague fatality have yet been released. 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time,' a Coconino County Board of Supervisors spokeswoman told media. 'Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released'. The incubation period of pneumonic plague, once it settles in the lungs, can be as little as one day. An intense course of common modern antibiotics is an effective treatment - if administered quickly. Was the patient suffering from untreated bubonic or septicaemic plague, where the bacteria spread to the lungs? Or was it contracted from infectious droplets coughed up by an animal or a person? And was it caught in the countryside, or an urban environment? 'Plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country (United States), due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there,' writes Jeffries. 'The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.' Prairie dogs are easy targets for the fleas that carry Yersinia pestis. But they tend to die quickly once infected. As such, a sudden spate of Prairie dog deaths can be an early warning sign of an outbreak of the bacteria. 'The source of the exposure is still under investigation; however, the death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off,' the Coconino County's health service has told US media. But other animals regularly handled by humans can get infected. Especially cats. They can contract the bacteria by eating infected rodents or being bitten by fleas. The CDC warns that this can then be transmitted to owners when the cat sneezes.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Plague Death in Arizona Shows Insidious Disease Never Disappeared
A person in Arizona has died from the plague, local health officials reported on Friday. This marks the first such death in this region in 18 years. But it's a stark reminder that this historic disease, though rare nowadays, is not just a disease of the past. So what actually is "plague"? And is it any cause for concern in Australia? Related: There are 3 types of 'plague' The word "plague" is often used to refer to any major disease epidemic or pandemic, or even to other undesirable events, such as a mouse plague. Naturally, the word can evoke fear. But scientifically speaking, plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Plague has three main forms: bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic. Bubonic is the most common and is named after "buboes", which are the painful, swollen lymph nodes the infection causes. Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills and weakness. Bubonic plague is typically spread by fleas living on animals such as rats, prairie dogs and marmots. If an infected flea moves from their animal host to bite a human, this can cause an infection. People can also become infected through handling an animal infected with the disease. Septicemic plague occurs if bubonic plague is left untreated, or it can occur directly if the disease enters the bloodstream. Septicemic plague causes bleeding into the organs. The name comes from septicemia, which refers to a serious blood infection. The recent death in the United States was due to a case of pneumonic plague, which is the most severe form. Bubonic plague can in some cases spread to the lungs, where it becomes pneumonic plague. However, pneumonic plague can also spread from person to person via tiny respiratory droplets, in a similar way to COVID. Symptoms are similar to the other forms but also include severe pneumonia. Some 30–60% of people who contract bubonic plague will die, while the fatality rate can be up to 100% for pneumonic plague if left untreated. Plague: a potted history This disease is one of the most important in history. The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire. The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe's population. Spread by the growing trade networks of the British empire, the third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia. It's believed the bubonic plague was largely behind these pandemics. Plague in the modern day First introduced into the US during the third pandemic, plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country, due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there. The last major outbreak was 100 years ago. Deaths are very rare, with 14 deaths in the past 25 years in the US. Globally, there have been a few thousand cases of plague over the past decade. The countries with the most cases currently include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru, with cases also occurring in India, central Asia and the US. Cases usually occur in rural and agricultural areas. Plague can be treated Plague can easily be treated with common antibiotics, typically a course of 10–14 days, which can include both oral and intravenous antibiotics. But it must be treated quickly. The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person. But there's no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage. As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here. Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century. But plague, like many diseases, is influenced by environmental conditions. The risk of climate change causing an expansion in the habitat of animal hosts means public health experts around the world should continue to monitor it closely. The plague, though often perceived as a disease of history, is still with us and can pose a major health threat if not treated early. Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the . Related News Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says Yo-Yo Dieting May Trigger Long-Lasting Changes in Gut Bacteria 11 Everyday Items That We Forget Are Nasty Hotspots For Bacteria
Bloomberg
16-07-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
What You Should Know About the Plague After an Arizona Death
Hi, it's Jessica in New York, where the resurgence of the plague has me wondering about how you can protect yourself. More on that in a moment … Last week, local health authorities in northern Arizona confirmed a person died of the plague. It's the county's first death from pneumonic plague, a type of bacteria that infects the lungs, since 2007.
Medscape
15-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Pneumonic Plague Death Confirmed in Arizona
Death from pneumonic plague was confirmed in a resident of Coconino County, Arizona, on July 11, 2025, according to a press release from the county's health and human services department. Although plague is rare in humans, it is endemic in the southwestern United States, and Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) maintains surveillance for the disease, according to the press release. "The source of the exposure is still under investigation; however, the death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off in the Townsend Winona area, northeast of Flagstaff," a media spokesperson from CCHHS told Medscape Medical News. Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but tend to die off quickly after an infection; they serve as an indicator species for the presence of plague, but not as long-term disease vectors, according to the press release. Plague was not found to be present in the prairie dog colony with the recent die-off, the spokesperson added. The bacterium Yersinia pestis, the source of plague, originates in fleas and is transmissible to animals or humans through a bite from an infected flea, according to the CDC. Humans can get plague from handling infected animals as well. Plague cycles naturally among rodents in the wild, such as prairie dogs, but plague caused by bites is more likely to be bubonic plague or septicemic plague, according to the CDC. Pneumonic plague is spread by inhalation of bacteria-containing droplets and affects the lungs. Notably, cats are highly susceptible to plague and can become infected by eating infected rodents, as well as from flea bites, according to the CDC. Cats with plague pose a risk of transmitting infectious plague droplets resulting in pneumonic plague to their owners or to veterinarians, according to the CDC. In humans, plague symptoms usually appear within about a week of exposure and may include chills and fever, headache, weakness, and muscle pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes in some cases, according to the CCHHS press release. Although the public health risk for plague remains low, Arizona public health officials recommend standard precautions such as avoiding contact with wild animals and fleas and seeking prompt veterinary care for sick pets. Officials also recommend removing piles of brush, rocks, trash, or lumber from homes and outbuildings because these could promote rodent infestations.
