Abstract
The use of molecular techniques to detect Yersinia pestis has enabled remarkable progress in the provision of necessary information on the occurrence of plague. In Tanzania, despite the long history of plague, DNA confirmation on the presence of Y. pestis in human specimens has not been done. This study was conducted in Mbulu district in Northern Tanzania where plague outbreaks have recently been reported. Nine human bubo specimens were investigated for Y. pestis plasminogen activator gene by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and two were found to be positive. The two positive amplicons, together with three previously obtained PCR positive rodent samples, were sequenced using a 3130 genetic analyzer and then compared with those available in GenBank by basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). All sequences obtained from both human and rodent samples showed 99% sequence similarity to Y. pestis plasmid pPCP1, detected from ancient DNA, confirming the presence of Y. pestis in humans that possibly sourced from rodents in Tanzania. Key words: Yersinia pestis, human plague, molecular detection, Tanzania.
Highlights
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that hit the Byzantine Empire, reaching Constantinople in and North Africa, Italy, Spain, and the French-German border by winter (Little, 2007)
This study was conducted in Mbulu district in Northern Tanzania where plague outbreaks have recently been reported
Nine human bubo specimens were investigated for Y. pestis plasminogen activator gene by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and two were found to be positive
Summary
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that hit the Byzantine Empire, reaching Constantinople in and North Africa, Italy, Spain, and the French-German border by winter (Little, 2007). The etiologic agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to spread over long distances and cause intense outbreaks interrupted by long periods of silence or reduced activity. Y. pestis strains have historically been classified according to their ability to utilize glycerol and reduce nitrate and have been grouped into three main subtypes or biovars as Antiqua, Medievalis, and Orientalis. These biovars can be distinguished depending on their abilities to ferment glycerol and reduce nitrate (Devignat, 1951 cited in Haensch et al, 2010)
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