Climate, Geography, and Plague (Yersinia Pestis) Dynamics: A Review and Suggestions for Research

Abstract

Plague, caused by the bacteria Yesinia Pestis, has been recognized as a reemerging threat to humans. In it enzootic cycles plague infects small mammal populations through a flea vector, occasionally breaking out in epizootic cycles in which humans can be infected. Climate is known to affect all stages of the plague cycle individually- bacteria, fleas, reservoirs and epizootic hosts. In the past ten years, an increasing number of studies have found correlations between climate, geography and plague, and some have found correlations between larger scale climate patterns like ENSO and plague. Many of these studies are focused on the US, and many hypothesize about the mechanisms by which climate and geography affect plague. More research across countries and across multiple scales should be conducted.