Volume 27, Number 8—August 2021
Synopsis
Plague Transmission from Corpses and Carcasses
Sophie Jullien
, Nipun Lakshitha de Silva, and Paul Garner
, Nipun Lakshitha de Silva, and Paul Garner
Table 1
Inclusion criteria for literature review on transmission of plague from human corpses
| Research topic | Infectiousness of body fluids of living plague patients | Infections acquired from corpses and carcasses | Infectiousness of body fluids of corpses and carcasses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study type |
Descriptive (including surveillance data, case series, and case reports) |
Descriptive (including case series and case reports) |
Descriptive (including case series and case reports) |
| Participants |
Persons who have laboratory-confirmed plague |
Persons or animals that died of laboratory-confirmed plague |
Persons or animals that died of laboratory-confirmed plague |
| Outcomes | New case of confirmed plague attributed to direct transmission from an infected human (i.e., human-to-human transmission) | New case of confirmed plague attributed to direct transmission from an infected corpse or carcass | New case of confirmed plague attributed to direct transmission from an infected corpse or carcass, with a specified period between the time of death of the plague victim and time of contact with corpse |
| Isolation of Yersinia pestis by culture from body fluids from an infected corpse or carcass, with a specified period between the time of death of the plague victim and the time of Y. pestis identification |
|||
| Exclusion criteria | None | Studies reporting only cases of plague attributed to consumption of infected meat, or cases transmitted by vectors such as fleas | Studies examining the persistence of Y. pestis DNA in corpses or carcasses that were previously buried, in the soil, or on environmental surfaces |
Page created: June 01, 2021
Page updated: July 18, 2021
Page reviewed: July 18, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.