Bubonic Plague Vaccines

The Bubonic Plague is one of the deadliest infectious diseases. It is caused due to the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis. This disease is commonly known simply as plague and famously named as the Black Death.

Plague is a zoonotic disease that spreads and circulates between small animals and the fleas on their bodies. The disease gets transferred to humans due to the bite of the inflected flea, direct contact, inhalation or the ingestion of infective substances. It is a very severe disease in people with a 30%-60% fatality if it is not treated.

The first symptoms that show up after 3-7 days of incubation are that the patient suffers from flu like symptoms. There is a sudden chill, fever, body aches and head aches and weakness experienced. IN some cases nausea and vomiting is also experienced.

There are basically three types of plagues: bucolic, septicaemic and pneumonic.

Fast, rapid diagnosis and treatment are needed for the reduction of further complications and the fatality rate.

Once upon a time plague vaccines were widely used however it is still not proved to be effective. In case of outbreak of out break of a plague vaccination is not recommended. It is only used as a prophylactic measure for the high risk groups.

In the year 1897 Haffkine initially developed a vaccine against Bubonic Plague. The vaccine consisted of a killed whole cell which is heat killed, Y pestis. Currently only the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories are manufacturing the vaccine.

The Soviet Union developed a live attenuated vaccine containing a strain of Y pestis EV76. However this vaccine is no longer being produced.

Currently a variety of subunit vaccines are being developed. One of the vaccines contains recombinant F1 antigen and V antigen. This combination provides a high protection level. This vaccine is in the stages of advanced clinical development.

The second vaccine which is based on the F1-V fusion protein produced in the recombinant E. coli and adjuvanted with alhydrogel (DynPort Vaccine) is estimated to provide about 80% protection. The vaccine is now in the clinical trials.

Another vaccine is still under development at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, United States of America.

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