Spatially distinct neutrophil responses within the inflammatory lesions of pneumonic plague.

Yersinia pestis is a high-priority pathogen and continues to cause outbreaks worldwide. The ability of Y. pestis to be transmitted via respiratory droplets and its history of weaponization has led to its classification as a select agent most likely to be used as a biological weapon. Unrestricted bacterial growth during the initial preinflammatory phase primes patients to be infectious once disease symptoms begin in the proinflammatory phase, and the rapid disease progression can lead to death before Y. pestis infection can be diagnosed and treated. Using in vivo analyses and focusing on relevant cell types during pneumonic plague infection, we can identify host pathways that may be manipulated to extend the treatment window for pneumonic plague patients.