Plague epidemiology

Marr JS, Malloy CD An epidemiologic analysis of the ten plagues of Egypt. Caduceus 1996 12 7-24. 

Although it is computationally efficient, the IFM ignores many of the demographic attributes of prairie dogs and fleas that may determine potential plague threat to humans. Thus, a series of more detailed population-level epidemiological models (e.g., Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered, or SIR models) can be used to determine the influence of the spatial structure of prairie dog populations (in terms... 

Aikimbayev, A., Kisselev U., et al. The effect of human plague isolates on eukaryotic cells [Russian], The plague epidemiological surveillance and prophylaxis measures. Almaty Kazakhstan, 1992, pp. 45 18. 

Fedorov, V., Rail, Yu. Epizootological regularities and epidemiological peculiarities in natural plague foci of different types. Works of scientific research anti-plague institutions of Caucasus and South Caucasus. Edition 4. pp. 36-47. 

Kozlov, M.P. Plague (natural focality, epizootology, epidemiological manifestations). Moscow Meditsina Press 1979. 

Plague manual. Epidemiology, distribution, surveillance and control. Geneva World Health Organization 1999. p. 63. 

Kuklev, E., Kokushkin, A., Kutireb, B. 2001. Quantitative assessment of indicators of epidemiological potential in natural foci of plague and optimization of epidemiological surveillance on the infection. J. Epidemiol. Infect. Dis. 2001. 5 10-13. 

Historically, epidemiology originated in relation to the study of the great epidemic diseases such as cholera, bubonic plague, (often referred to as Black Death in the Middle Ages) smallpox, yellow fever and typhus. These disease were associated with high mortality and, until the twentieth century, were the most important threats to life. 

Human-to-human transmission of plague can occur from patients with pulmonary infection. However, understanding of the epidemiology of pneumonic plague is incomplete. Most epidemics have occurred in cool climates with moderate humidity and close contact between susceptible individuals. Outbreaks of pneumonic plague have been rare in tropical climates even during epidemics of bubonic disease. Respiratory transmission may occur more efficiently via larger droplets or fomites rather than via small-particle aerosols.48... 

Fig. 23-6. Known worldwide foci of human plague infection. Data sources (1) Human plague in 1990. WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record. 1 Nov 1991 44 321-324. (2) Human plague in 1993. WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record. 17 Feb 1995 7 45-48. (3) Barkway J. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Personal communication, February 1996. (4) Ken Gage, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado. Personal communication, March 1996.

Hirst LF. The Conquest of Plague A Study of the Evolution of Epidemiology. Oxford, England Clarendon Press 1953. 

Gage KL, Lance SE, Dennis DT, Montenieri JA. Human plague in the United States A review of cases from 1988-1992 with comments on the likelihood of increased plague activity. Border Epidemiological Bulletin. 1992 19(6) l-10. 

Speck RS, Wolochow H. Studies on the experimental epidemiology of respiratory infections, VIII Experimental pneumonic plague in Macacus rhesus. J Infect Dis. 1957 100 58-68. 

A licensed, killed whole-cell vaccine is available. Although some epidemiologic evidence supports the efficacy of this vaccine against bubonic plague, its efficacy against aerosolized Y. pestis has not been established. 

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