Yersinia pestis

Introduction Plague is a disease that affects

humans and other mammals. It is caused by
the bacterium, Yersinia pestis which is gram
negative bacterium with coccbacillus shape
Yersinia pestis toxin (Tc)

Yersinia pestis carries homologues of the toxin

complex (Tc) family proteins,
includes a virulence plasmid, which encodes a Work done by
type III secretion system (T3SS) for secreting Yop
Rawan Almalki
protein substrates, to establish a successful 1906889
infection. Six Yops are delivered by T3SS into Lujain Alansari
host cells and these then inhibit phagocytosis 2005546
and block pro-inflammatory signals

Diseases
Yersinia pestis caused plague sometime referred as Black Plague.
There’re three types of plague:

Bubonic plague Septicemic plague Pneumonic plague

-The most common -When the bacteria enter -Bacteria spread to or
-Spread by bite of an the bloodstream directly first infect the lungs
infected flea and multiply there -The most lethal form
-Infects your lymphatic
system

Transmission
Flea bites
Contact with contaminated fluid or tissue
Infectious droplets

Mechanism of entry
1- Fleas get infected with Y.pestis by feeding on bacteremic host.
2- Y.pestis capsule F1 it loses inside the flea.
3- When flea bites human it transfer the bacteria to the bit wound.
4- Neutrophils and Macrophages come to the bite wound, neutrophils can easily destroy it
but macrophages can’t kill it.
5- Macrophages caught the bacteria which survive inside use virulence factor to avoid
destruction by producing its capsular antigen F1.
6- T3SS is bacterial proteins that can inhibit the immune response by inject YOPS inside
Macrophages.
7- TNF-Alpha and IL-8 secretion is blocked and macrophage is inactive.
8- It secrete Yersiniabactin which captures the iron and carries it to the bacteria.

Detection in laboratory
A blood test
For bubonic plague: take a sample of the fluid in swollen lymph nodes
For pneumonic plague: take a blood sample or sample from the swollen
lymph node

Treatment
The plague is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent care.
If caught and treated early, it is a treatable disease using commonly
available antibiotics. Treatment will continue for several weeks, even
after the fever breaks