biostudies-literatureHan HNational Science and Technology Major Projecte0166222https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9784778biostudies-literatureUnknown10(6)This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts, and vector insects from 1950 to 2020 among two natural plague foci in Yunnan Province, China. These foci include the Rattus flavipectus plague focus of the Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces and the Apodemus chevrieri<i>-</i>Eothenomys miletus plague focus of the highlands of northwestern Yunnan Province. The case fatality rate for plague in humans was 18.39% (637/3,464), and the total isolation rate of Y. pestis was 0.17% (4,968/2,975,288). Despite that the frequency of human cases declined rapidly, the animal plague fluctuated greatly, alternating between activity and inactivity in these foci. The tendency among human Microbiology spectrumEpidemiological Characteristics of Human and Animal Plague in Yunnan Province, China, 1950 to 2020.PMC97847782018ZX10713-003-0022018ZX10713-001-002Jing HZhang DLiang YLv DTang DQin SZhang PHe ZLiang JDuan RHan HGao ZChen YWang XSong ZfalseEpidemiological Characteristics of Human and Animal Plague in Yunnan Province, China, 1950 to 2020.This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of 3,464 human plague cases and the distribution pattern of 4,968 Yersinia pestis isolates from humans, hosts, and vector insects from 1950 to 2020 among two natural plague foci in Yunnan Province, China. These foci include the Rattus flavipectus plague focus of the Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces and the Apodemus chevrieri<i>-</i>Eothenomys miletus plague focus of the highlands of northwestern Yunnan Province. The case fatality rate for plague in humans was 18.39% (637/3,464), and the total isolation rate of Y. pestis was 0.17% (4,968/2,975,288). Despite that the frequency of human cases declined rapidly, the animal plague fluctuated greatly, alternating between activity and inactivity in these foci. The tendency among human 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Dec2025-04-04T21:55:05.229Z2025-04-04T21:55:05.229ZS-EPMC97847783621910910.1128/spectrum.01662-22