Abstract:
Plague raged in Europe for over 1400 years and was responsible for three major pandemics. Today, plague still poses a serious threat to global public health and surveillance is imperative. Plague is still present in natural reservoirs on several continents, including Africa, Asia and the Americas, and sometimes causes local cases and epidemics. The Third Plague Pandemic caused millions of deaths worldwide, including in Europe. Plague arrived in Europe in the autumn of 1896 mostly through maritime trade routes, where it spread with several epidemic events until 1945, when, in the port city of Taranto, the last known outbreak was recorded. In this paper, we present an overview of the natural history and pathogenicity of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague, its spread from Asia to Europe during the Third Pandemic, and the therapies used to treat and prevent the disease in Europe, with particular focus on the case of Taranto. In Taranto, the Pasteur Institute\'s antiserum antimicrobial therapy, and vaccination were used to treat and stop the advance of the bacterium, with mixed results.
摘要:
瘟疫在欧洲肆虐了1400多年,并导致了三大流行病。今天,鼠疫仍然对全球公共卫生构成严重威胁,监测势在必行。瘟疫仍然存在于几个大洲的天然水库中,包括非洲,亚洲和美洲,有时会导致当地病例和流行病。第三次瘟疫在全世界造成数百万人死亡,包括在欧洲。瘟疫于1896年秋天主要通过海上贸易路线到达欧洲,它在那里传播了几次流行病事件,直到1945年,在港口城市塔兰托,记录了最后一次已知的爆发。在本文中,我们概述了鼠疫耶尔森氏菌的自然史和致病性,负责鼠疫的细菌,它在第三次大流行期间从亚洲传播到欧洲,以及在欧洲用来治疗和预防这种疾病的疗法,特别关注塔兰托的案子。在塔兰托,巴斯德研究所的抗血清抗菌治疗,接种疫苗用于治疗和阻止细菌的传播,结果喜忧参半。