title: Perspectives on Yersinia pestis: A Model for Studying Zoonotic Pathogens.
abstract: Yersinia pestis is a typical zoonotic bacterial pathogen. The following reasons make this pathogen a model for studying zoonotic pathogens: (1) Its unique lifestyle makes Y. pestis an ideal model for studying host-vector-environment-pathogen interactions; (2) population diversity characters in Y. pestis render it a model species for studying monomorphic bacterial evolution; (3) the pathogenic features of bacteria provide us with good opportunities to study human immune responses; (4) typical animal and vector models of Y. pestis infection create opportunities for experimental studies on pathogenesis and evolution; and (5) repeated pandemics and local outbreaks provide us with clues about the infectious disease outbreaks that have occurred in human history.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China. ruifuyang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ruifu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China.
authors.forename: Yujun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China.
authors.forename: Yujing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004777:Environment; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000502:physiology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Pathogenesis, evolution; Y. pestis, host–vector–environment–pathogen interactions