title: Pneumonic Plague: The Darker Side of Yersinia pestis.
abstract: Inhalation of the bacterium Yersinia pestis results in primary pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague is the most severe manifestation of plague, with mortality rates approaching 100% in the absence of treatment. Its rapid disease progression, lethality, and ability to be transmitted via aerosol have compounded fears of the intentional release of Y. pestis as a biological weapon. Importantly, recent epidemics of plague have highlighted a significant role for pneumonic plague during outbreaks of Y. pestis infections. In this review we describe the characteristics of pneumonic plague, focusing on its disease progression and pathogenesis. The rapid time-course, severity, and difficulty of treating pneumonic plague highlight how differences in the route of disease transmission can enhance the lethality of an already deadly pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Pechous
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27703, USA.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivaraman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Nikolas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Stasulli
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Electronic address: goldman@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054045:Biological Warfare Agents; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D014774:Virulence; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D054045:Biological Warfare Agents
keywords: Yersinia pestis; plague; pneumonic plague