Yersinia Petis Research Paper

Yersinia petis, which better known as the plague, is caused by a gram-negative and rod-shaped coccobacillus bacteria. (Gram-negative meaning the bacteria does not contain the crystal violet stain involved in the gram staining test or process). The bacterium is also considered to be partially anaerobic, meaning it can function with oxygen but can also switch to a fermentation without oxygen. Yersinia petis function and survive through the lives and cycle of rodents and fleas, because of this, these two animals are the reservoirs for this bacterium, or disease. The plague is very rare in dogs and is often mostly seen in cats but if a dog is infected the signs would be a fever, inflammation, pain, and swollen in/of the lymph nodes of the dog. …show more content…
The plague comes in three different forms: bubonic which typically infects the lymph nodes, septicemic which is more of a blood infection, and pneumonic which is an infection of the lungs. For bubonic the clinical signs include; fever, inflammation, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration (from the vomiting and diarrhea), anorexia, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, possible abscesses, discharge from the eyes, and mouth ulcers. Septicemic clinical signs would include; fever, weakness, pain in the abdomen, possible bleeding of skin and other organs, and skin and tissues can turn black in color. For pneumonic plague felines, can develop a fever, weakness, infection of the lungs leading to pneumonia, cough, bloody or watery mucous or mucous membranes, and can potentially lead to respiratory …show more content…
Can also be diagnosed by a test of fluorescent antibodies, which test for antibodies made against Yersinia petis, and then is tagged with a fluorescent marker. Also, the clinical signs can be used to determine the disease but a test should be run to confirm as well. The treatment for the plague should be gentamicin, which is a aminoglycoside antibiotic. This antibiotic is very nephrotoxic so therefore all animals placed on this antibiotic should also be supported with IV fluids as well. Infected animals should be placed in isolation as well to avoid contagion. For those [humans] that work closely with animals that could be infected, it is important to follow safety protocols and wear protective gear like gloves, masks, etc. Without treatment, the disease is 90-10% fatal. However, with aggressive treatment and supportive care given early, the disease is only 15% fatal, both in animals and in