Plague: Bridging gaps towards better disease control

Abstract

After centuries of epidemics and more than a hundred years since the identification of the causative bacterium, very little is known about the plague dynamics in animal reservoirs, vectors and the changing vulnerabilities for humans. The recent plague epidemic in Madagascar in 2017 highlights these gaps existing within the knowledge of the disease dynamics, the factors influencing it, the performance of diagnostic tests and the best recommended treatment. As the eradication of plague will not be possible due to the widespread existence of the bacterium in wildlife, a One Health approach, drawing on animal, human and environmental health disciplines is needed to better control this poverty-related disease. This article focused on the various aspects of the disease for which more tools and better understanding are required to better control the disease in endemic countries.

Keywords: Emerging disease; Maladie émergente; Peste; Plague; Yersinia pestis; Zoonose; Zoonosis.