Plague however is still an endemic disease found throughout the world which can be, and often is, fatal. The work of Scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), who are currently looking at more effective methods of treatment, for plague, could therefore, have far reaching world-wide benefits.
The DSTL scientists are exploring alternative methods of administering antibodies against plague. The new methods that are being developed involve a simple inhalation of a spray in the mouth.
At present, antibody treatment is administered using injections. Professor Rick Titball, one of the team of DSTL scientists working on the research, said:
"Antibody treatment administered using injections would be potentially time consuming, and injections are difficult to self-administer. This new method means that, in the future, antibodies could be quickly distributed to those in need, in the case of an outbreak.
"Those affected could quickly deliver the dose of plague antibodies themselves using an inhaled spray, rapidly limiting further spread of the disease."
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports around 2000 cases of plague each year, with almost 200 yearly fatalities. The vast majority of cases are in Africa, but there have also been outbreaks in the USA and in 2003 plague re-emerged in Algeria 50 years after its last occurrence.
Small mammals are the natural hosts of the bacterium which causes plague, it can spread to humans via the bite of an infected flea. Bubonic plague can develop into the more deadly pneumonic form of plague which spreads from person to person via airborne droplets, increasing the potential for rapid spread of the disease.
DSTL, an MOD agency, develops protective countermeasures against both conventional weapons and the potential use of chemical or biological warfare. The ability to rapidly spread through the air could mean plague is potentially used in this way.
Various treatments for plague have been explored, including vaccines and antibiotics. Vaccines, although providing a high degree of protection, must be administered several weeks before exposure to prevent the disease. Antibiotic treatments are sometimes prone to resistance by bacteria or can cause unwanted side effects. Antibody treatment, however, although still in the research stage, has been demonstrated to be effective against a number of infectious diseases, including plague.
Dr Jim Hill, from DSTL's Biomedical Sciences Microbiology Unit is leading the study. He said:
"Treatments which can be inhaled rather than injected, have the potential to be self administered. We therefore chose to study the therapeutic properties of plague antibodies administered with an aerosol spray."
The research is currently in its very early stages, but early indications are promising, supporting the future development of a self-administrable antibody-based treatment for plague.