Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes lack the virulence-associated YpfΦ prophage present in modern pandemic strains.

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of at least three major plague pandemics (Justinianic, Medieval and Modern). Previous studies on ancient Y. pestis genomes revealed that several genomic alterations had occurred approximately 5000-3000 years ago and contributed to the remarkable virulence of this pathogen. How a subset of strains evolved to cause the Modern pandemic is less well-understood. Here, we examined the virulence-associated prophage (YpfΦ), which had been postulated to be exclusively present in the genomes of strains associated with the Modern pandemic. The analysis of two new Y. pestis genomes from medieval/early modern Denmark confirmed that the phage is absent from the genome of strains dating to this time period. An extended comparative genome analysis of over 300 strains spanning more than 5000 years showed that the prophage is found in the genomes of modern strains only and suggests an integration into the genome during recent Y. pestis evolution. The phage-encoded Zot protein showed structural homology to a virulence factor of Vibrio cholerae. Similar to modern Y. pestis, we observed phages with a common origin to YpfΦ in individual strains of other bacterial species. Our findings present an updated view on the prevalence of YpfΦ, which might contribute to our understanding of the host spectrum, geographical spread and virulence of Y. pestis responsible for the Modern pandemic.

Coping With Pandemics: A Historical Perspective About Society's Tools to Deal With Global Infectious Diseases.

ABSTRACT: Throughout history, society has dealt with several devastating pandemics. Our objective is to analyze society's coping mechanisms to deal with pandemic-related stress in history congruent with the values of the time. For that purpose, we have carefully selected some of the most significant pandemics based on their impact and the available psychosocial literature. After a brief introduction, society's coping tools are reviewed and analyzed for the Antonine Plague, the second bubonic plague, the third cholera pandemic, the Spanish flu, the HIV pandemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite occurring at different times in history, parallels can be established in the study of society's psychological reactions among different pandemics. Magical thinking, political skepticism, fake accusations, and discrimination of minorities are recurrent reactions in society among different pandemics in history.

Tabagismo na pandemia de Covid-19: aspectos neurobiológicos do abuso de drogas em condições de estresse prolongado / Smoking on Covid-19 pandemic: neurobiological aspects of drug abuse in lasting stress conditions / Fumar en la pandemia de Covid-19: aspectos neurobiológicos del abuso de drogas en condiciones de estrés duradero

No fim de 2019 iniciou-se uma das maiores crises da saúde pública global em Wuhan, China. Essa emergência foi o aparecimento do SARS-CoV-2 e da doença COVID-19, uma síndrome respiratória aguda de alta transmissibilidade. A declaração da pandemia pela OMS em março de 2020 fez com que o mundo tomasse diversas medidas para o combate e contenção da doença. Inicialmente o isolamento social e lockdown foram as principais iniciativas, já que não havia formas de tratamento ou prevenção da doença. Essas medidas restritivas geraram uma mudança de hábito da população que deflagrou sérios comprometimentos físicos e psicológicos. Uma das consequências foi o aumento do uso de substâncias de abuso e, consequentemente, do transtornos por uso de substâncias, dentre elas o tabaco. Durante a pandemia o consumo de cigarro aumentou de 10 a 30% no mundo, o tabagismo é a principal causa de morte evitável e fator de risco para diversas doenças. Conjuntamente ao álcool, a nicotina têm um poder aditivo superior a muitas drogas ilícitas. A combinação dos transtornos por uso de substâncias e a COVID-19 acabam por ter um efeito sinérgico, dessa forma, buscamos integrar aspectos neuroquímicos, cognitivos e comportamentais que levaram ao aumento do consumo e/ou recaída nicotina e a terapêutica utilizada.

One of the biggest global public health crisis began in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. That emergency was the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19, a highly transmissible acute respiratory syndrome. The pandemic declaration by the WHO in March 2020 caused the world to take on several measures to combat and contain the virus. Initially, social isolation and lockdown were the main initiatives, as there were no forms of treatment or prevention of the disease. These restrictive measures generate a change in the habit of the population that triggered serious physical and psychological impairments. One of the consequences was the increase in the use of substances of abuse and, consequently, substance use disorder, including tobacco. During the pandemic, cigarette consumption increased from 10 to 30% worldwide, whereas smoking is the main cause of preventable death and a risk factor for several diseases. Along with alcohol, nicotine has a greater addictive power than illicit drugs. Substance use disorders and COVID-19 have a synergistic effect, in this way, we seek to integrate neurochemical, cognitive and behavioral aspects that led to increased consumption and/or relapse in nicotine consumption and the used therapy.

Una de las mayores crisis mundiales de salud pública comenzó en Wuhan (China) a finales de 2019. Esa emergencia fue la aparición del SARS-CoV-2 y la enfermedad COVID-19, un síndrome respiratorio agudo altamente transmisible. La declaración de pandemia por parte de la OMS en marzo de 2020 hizo que el mundo adoptara varias medidas para combatir y contener el virus. Inicialmente, el aislamiento social y el encierro fueron las principales iniciativas, ya que no existían formas de tratamiento o prevención de la enfermedad. Estas medidas restrictivas generaron un cambio en los hábitos de la población que desencadenó graves alteraciones físicas y psicológicas. Una de las consecuencias fue el aumento del consumo de sustancias de abuso y, en consecuencia, el trastorno por consumo de sustancias, incluido el tabaco. Durante la pandemia, el consumo de cigarrillos aumentó del 10 al 30% en todo el mundo, mientras que el tabaquismo es la principal causa de muerte evitable y un factor de riesgo de varias enfermedades. Junto con el alcohol, la nicotina tiene un mayor poder adictivo que las drogas ilícitas. Los trastornos por uso de sustancias y la COVID-19 tienen un efecto sinérgico, de esta manera, buscamos integrar los aspectos neuroquímicos, cognitivos y conductuales que llevaron al aumento del consumo y/o recaída en el consumo de nicotina y la terapia utilizada.

Entre el olvido y el recuerdo de la pandemia de gripe de 1918-1919 en tiempos de la covid-19 / Between forgetting and remembering: the flu pandemic of 1918-1919 in the time of covid-19

Reúne um conjunto de ensaios que tentam esclarecer a dissonância entre a grande magnitude da pandemia de gripe de 1918-1919 e o aparente eclipse da sua memória, tradicionalmente atribuído à sua proximidade com a Primeira Guerra Mundial. Eles contam com a exploração de um conjunto de histórias pessoais, comunitárias, médicas e culturais de diferentes estruturas, nacional e transnacional, com o intuito de revelar a memória preservada sobre a grave crise sanitária, o esquecimento, os silêncios e o ressurgimento de memórias latentes. A experiência da pandemia de covid-19 enriqueceu substancialmente os resultados deste livro. Os casos particulares reunidos neste trabalho mostram diferentes processos construtivos da memória social e do esquecimento da gripe de 1918-1919, realizada nos anos pandemia e imediatamente depois nos ambientes geográficos e culturais selecionados. Revelam também algumas iniciativas e/ou circunstâncias que contribuíram para realizar novas construções sociais e recuperar a memória sobre a crise sanitária

No evidence for persistent natural plague reservoirs in historical and modern Europe.

Caused by Yersinia pestis, plague ravaged the world through three known pandemics: the First or the Justinianic (6th-8th century); the Second (beginning with the Black Death during c.1338-1353 and lasting until the 19th century); and the Third (which became global in 1894). It is debatable whether Y. pestis persisted in European wildlife reservoirs or was repeatedly introduced from outside Europe (as covered by European Union and the British Isles). Here, we analyze environmental data (soil characteristics and climate) from active Chinese plague reservoirs to assess whether such environmental conditions in Europe had ever supported "natural plague reservoirs". We have used new statistical methods which are validated through predicting the presence of modern plague reservoirs in the western United States. We find no support for persistent natural plague reservoirs in either historical or modern Europe. Two factors make Europe unfavorable for long-term plague reservoirs: 1) Soil texture and biochemistry and 2) low rodent diversity. By comparing rodent communities in Europe with those in China and the United States, we conclude that a lack of suitable host species might be the main reason for the absence of plague reservoirs in Europe today. These findings support the hypothesis that long-term plague reservoirs did not exist in Europe and therefore question the importance of wildlife rodent species as the primary plague hosts in Europe.

Influenza pandemics throughout Brazilian history / Pandemias de influenza ao longo da história brasileira

Abstract Brazil has experienced several major epidemics of influenza, and the most destructive was in 1918-1919. This article focuses on mortality, mitigation policies, and the consequences of pandemic influenza during the national period. We provide the first mortality estimates for the 1890-1894 influenza pandemic and correct figures for later epidemics. The 1918-1919 episode cost more lives than assumed, although some cities suffered less, possibly because of public health actions. Influenza caused pandemics in 1957, 1968, 1976, and 2009, but these did not cause unusual outbreaks in Brazil.

Resumo O Brasil passou por várias epidemias importantes de influenza, a mais letal em 1918-1919. O artigo focaliza a mortalidade, as políticas de mitigação e as consequências das pandemias de influenza no período nacional. Fornecemos as primeiras estimativas de mortalidade para a pandemia de 1890-1894 e corrigimos números de epidemias posteriores. O episódio de 1918-1919 custou mais vidas do que se considerou anteriormente, embora algumas cidades tenham sofrido menos, possivelmente devido a ações de saúde pública. A influenza gerou pandemias em 1957, 1968, 1976 e 2009, mas elas não causaram surtos incomuns no Brasil.

How the Black Death left its mark on immune system genes.

Study of DNA from medieval victims and survivors finds gene that helped protect people from deadly pathogen.

The population genomic legacy of the second plague pandemic.

Human populations have been shaped by catastrophes that may have left long-lasting signatures in their genomes. One notable example is the second plague pandemic that entered Europe in ca. 1,347 CE and repeatedly returned for over 300 years, with typical village and town mortality estimated at 10%-40%.1 It is assumed that this high mortality affected the gene pools of these populations. First, local population crashes reduced genetic diversity. Second, a change in frequency is expected for sequence variants that may have affected survival or susceptibility to the etiologic agent (Yersinia pestis).2 Third, mass mortality might alter the local gene pools through its impact on subsequent migration patterns. We explored these factors using the Norwegian city of Trondheim as a model, by sequencing 54 genomes spanning three time periods: (1) prior to the plague striking Trondheim in 1,349 CE, (2) the 17th-19th century, and (3) the present. We find that the pandemic period shaped the gene pool by reducing long distance immigration, in particular from the British Isles, and inducing a bottleneck that reduced genetic diversity. Although we also observe an excess of large FST values at multiple loci in the genome, these are shaped by reference biases introduced by mapping our relatively low genome coverage degraded DNA to the reference genome. This implies that attempts to detect selection using ancient DNA (aDNA) datasets that vary by read length and depth of sequencing coverage may be particularly challenging until methods have been developed to account for the impact of differential reference bias on test statistics.

Síndrome de burnout e atividade física em adolescentes no contexto da pandemia da Covid-19 / Burnout syndrome and physical activity in adolescents in the context of Covid-19 pandemic / Síndrome de burnout y actividad física en adolescentes en el contexto de la pandemia de Covid-19

panorama da pandemia da Covid-19 surgiu a necessidade em diversas áreas do conhecimento de buscar entender os impactos desse cenário nas pessoas, além da busca de estratégias para mitigar estes impactos deletérios à saúde e ao bem-estar pessoal de diversos grupos sociais. O distanciamento social adotado como medida sanitária mostrou-se efetivo para abrandar a contaminação da doença, mas também trouxe algumas implicações a nível psicológico, não apenas na população adulta, mas também entre os adolescentes. Uma delas foi a escalada dos níveis de estresse devido a uma nova rotina de isolamento social e ensino remoto, que por sua vez, pode implicar diretamente na incidência da síndrome de burnout entre os jovens, assim como em adultos. O objetivo desse estudo foi analisar a relação entre o nível de atividade física e os sintomas de burnout durante o isolamento social ocasionado pela pandemia da Covid-19 entre adolescentes. A amostra do estudo foi constituída de adolescentes com idades entre 15 e 17 anos. Foram aplicados de maneira remota os questionários MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory ­ Student Survey) e o QAFA (Questionário de Atividade Física para o Adolescente), que possibilitaram analisar respectivamente, os indicativos de burnout e o nível de atividade física da amostra, além de um questionário semiestruturado que forneceu informações como tempo de tela e motivação para prática de atividade física, por exemplo. Os resultados indicaram que em relação à síndrome de burnout, os indivíduos fisicamente mais ativos têm 2 vezes menos chances de apresentar sintomas da síndrome em detrimento ao insuficientemente ativos. Observou-se qualitativamente, através do questionário semiestruturado, um elevado tempo de tela e uma diminuição na prática regular de atividade física, no contexto do primeiro ano de pandemia. Com estes achados, conclui-se que a atividade física pode ser um elemento diretamente influente na apresentação dos sintomas da síndrome de burnout entre adolescentes. Esta relação pôde ser evidenciada no contexto do primeiro ano de pandemia, onde foram fechados diversos espaços públicos destinados à prática de atividade física e lazer, além das escolas onde esses jovens tinham acesso às aulas de educação física.

In the panorama of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need arose in several areas of knowledge to seek to understand the impacts of this scenario on people, in addition to the search for strategies to mitigate these deleterious impacts on the health and personal well-being of various social groups. The social distancing adopted as a health measure proved to be effective to slow down the contamination of the disease, but it also brought some implications at the psychological level, not only in the adult population, but also among adolescents. One of them was the escalation of stress levels due to a new routine of social isolation and remote education, which in turn can directly implicate in the incidence of burnout syndrome among young people, as well as adults. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between physical activity level and burnout symptoms during social isolation occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic among adolescents. The study sample consisted of adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. The MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey) and the QAFA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents) questionnaires were applied remotely, which made it possible to analyze, respectively, the indications of burnout and the level of physical activity of the sample, in addition to a semi-structured questionnaire that provided information such as screen time and motivation to practice physical activity, for example. The results indicated that in relation to burnout syndrome, the more physically active individuals are 2 times less likely to present symptoms of the syndrome in detriment of the insufficiently active ones. It was qualitatively observed, through the semi-structured questionnaire, a high screen time and a decrease in the regular practice of physical activity, in the context of the first year of the pandemic. With these findings, we conclude that physical activity can be a directly influential element in the presentation of burnout syndrome symptoms among adolescents. This relationship could be evidenced in the context of the first year of the pandemic, where several public spaces for physical activity and leisure were closed, in addition to the schools where these young people had access to physical education classes.

En el panorama de la pandemia del Covid-19, surgió la necesidad en varias áreas del conocimiento de buscar comprender los impactos de este escenario en las personas, además de la búsqueda de estrategias para mitigar estos impactos deletéreos en la salud y en el bienestar personal de diversos grupos sociales. El distanciamiento social adoptado como medida sanitaria se mostró eficaz para frenar la contaminación de la enfermedad, pero también trajo algunas implicaciones a nivel psicológico, no sólo en la población adulta, sino también entre los adolescentes. Una de ellas fue la escalada de los niveles de estrés debido a una nueva rutina de aislamiento social y educación a distancia, que a su vez puede implicar directamente en la incidencia del síndrome de burnout entre los jóvenes, así como entre los adultos. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación entre el nivel de actividad física y los síntomas de burnout durante el aislamiento social ocasionado por la pandemia de Covid-19 entre los adolescentes. La muestra del estudio estaba formada por adolescentes de 15 a 17 años. Se aplicaron a distancia los cuestionarios MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey) y QAFA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents), que permitieron analizar, respectivamente, los indicios de burnout y el nivel de actividad física de la muestra, además de un cuestionario semiestructurado que proporcionó información como el tiempo de pantalla y la motivación para practicar actividad física, por ejemplo. Los resultados indicaron que, en relación al síndrome de burnout, los individuos más activos físicamente tienen 2 veces menos probabilidades de presentar síntomas del síndrome en detrimento de los insuficientemente activos. Se observó cualitativamente, a través del cuestionario semiestructurado, un elevado tiempo de pantalla y una disminución en la práctica regular de actividad física, en el contexto del primer año de la pandemia. Con estos hallazgos, concluimos que la actividad física puede ser un elemento directamente influyente en la presentación de los síntomas del síndrome de burnout entre los adolescentes. Esta relación pudo ser evidenciada en el contexto del primer año de la pandemia, donde varios espacios públicos de actividad física y ocio fueron cerrados, además de las escuelas donde estos jóvenes tenían acceso a las clases de educación física.

Lost Lessons of the 1918 Influenza: The 1920s Working Hypothesis, the Public Health Paradigm, and the Prevention of Deadly Pandemics.

In standard historical accounts, the hyperlethal 1918 flu pandemic was inevitable once a novel influenza virus appeared. However, in the years following the pandemic, it was obvious to distinguished flu experts from around the world that social and environmental conditions interacted with infectious agents and could enhance the virulence of flu germs. On the basis of the timing and geographic pattern of the pandemic, they hypothesized that an "essential cause" of the pandemic's extraordinary lethality was the extreme, prolonged, and industrial-scale overcrowding of US soldiers in World War I, particularly on troopships. This literature synthesis considers research from history, public health, military medicine, veterinary science, molecular genetics, virology, immunology, and epidemiology. Arguments against the hypothesis do not provide disconfirming evidence. Overall, the findings are consistent with an immunologically similar virus varying in virulence in response to war-related conditions. The enhancement-of-virulence hypothesis deserves to be included in the history of the pandemic and the war. These lost lessons of 1918 point to possibilities for blocking the transformation of innocuous infections into deadly disasters and are relevant beyond influenza for diseases like COVID-19. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(10):1454-1464. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306976).

The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia.

The origin of the medieval Black Death pandemic (AD 1346-1353) has been a topic of continuous investigation because of the pandemic's extensive demographic impact and long-lasting consequences1,2. Until now, the most debated archaeological evidence potentially associated with the pandemic's initiation derives from cemeteries located near Lake Issyk-Kul of modern-day Kyrgyzstan1,3-9. These sites are thought to have housed victims of a fourteenth-century epidemic as tombstone inscriptions directly dated to 1338-1339 state 'pestilence' as the cause of death for the buried individuals9. Here we report ancient DNA data from seven individuals exhumed from two of these cemeteries, Kara-Djigach and Burana. Our synthesis of archaeological, historical and ancient genomic data shows a clear involvement of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis in this epidemic event. Two reconstructed ancient Y. pestis genomes represent a single strain and are identified as the most recent common ancestor of a major diversification commonly associated with the pandemic's emergence, here dated to the first half of the fourteenth century. Comparisons with present-day diversity from Y. pestis reservoirs in the extended Tian Shan region support a local emergence of the recovered ancient strain. Through multiple lines of evidence, our data support an early fourteenth-century source of the second plague pandemic in central Eurasia.

[The "Nastas'in Pestilence": the Great Plague of 1417-1425 in Rus].

The plague pandemic ("The Black Death") that struck Eurasia in the middle of XIV century, "settled" this lethal disease in Europe for a long time. The new outbreaks of this disease, with breaks of several years, occurred in single cities, regions and states, covering sometimes entire continent over the next centuries. However, impression that "The Black Death" made upon minds of European scribes, staggering European society by its inevitability, for a long time determined particular angle of view under which it is accepted to consider the history of plague in Europe in the epoch of Middle Ages and early New Age. The image of The Great Plague of XIV century overshadowed all subsequent outbreaks of this lethal disease, so its subsequent occurrences are traditionally given less attention. The article, being based on on analysis of numerous chronicle evidences, for the first time in Russian historiography analyzes the history of plague in Rus during first decades of XV century and restores chronology of its occurrence and development and determines areas affected by the plague in the first place, estimating caused damage.

Epidemias y pandemias: un viaje de Hipócrates a Hollywood / Epidemics and pandemics: a journey from Hippocrates to Hollywood

La Historia de la Medicina y los acontecimientos alrededor de las epidemias y pandemias deben servir para aprender de experiencias previas en momentos tan complicados. Las diez mayores pandemias de la Historia anteriores a la COVID-19 nos han dejado una serie de lecciones con cuatro protagonistas: al principio, Yersinia pestis, y luego tres virus (viruela, gripe y coronavirus). El cine nos permite el paso de la realidad a la ficción, y lo confirmamos al revisar veintisiete películas sobre epidemias y pandemias a lo largo de la historia del séptimo arte. De ellas, cabe "prescribir" seis películas argumentales: El doctor Arrowshmith (John Ford, 1931), Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme, 1993), Estallido (Wolfgang Petersen, 1995), 22 ángeles (Miguel Bardem, 2016), 93 días (Steve Gukas, 2016) y, especialmente, Contagio (Steven Soderbergh, 2011). En este viaje de Hipócrates a Hollywood (de la ciencia al arte), en el entorno de las epidemias y las pandemias, es posible adquirir algunas enseñanzas: 1) la historia nos demuestra dos realidades pasadas de las epidemias y pandemias: su gravedad y su recurrencia en el tiempo; 2) el cine nos revela dos supuestos futuros de las epidemias y las pandemias: su visión apocalíptica y su limitada positividad al ser reflejadas en la gran pantalla. De este modo, el cine actúa como una vacuna, pues nos expone en pequeñas dosis repetidas frente a las emociones y reflexiones que nos provocan las epidemias y pandemias; y ello con el fin de ganar en conocimiento, prudencia y resiliencia frente a esas entidades (AU)

The history of medicine and the events surrounding epidemics and pandemics should allow us to learn from previous experiences in such difficult times. The 10 largest pandemics in history prior to the coronavirus 2019 pandemic have left us a series of lessons with four main characters: earliest of all, Yersinia pestis, and then three viruses: smallpox, influenza and coronavirus.Filmmaking allow us to travel from reality to fiction, which we confirmed by reviewing 27 films about epidemics and pandemics throughout the history of the seventh art. Of these, six plot films can be "prescribed": Arrowsmith (John Ford, 1931), Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme, 1993), Outbreak (Wolfgang Petersen, 1995), 22 ángeles (Miguel Bardem, 2016), 93 days (Steve Gukas, 2016) and, especially, Contagion (Steven Soderbergh, 2011).In this journey from Hippocrates to Hollywood (from science to art) in the context of epidemics and pandemics, there are lessons to be gained: 1) History evinces two facts from previous epidemics and pandemics: that they are severe and that they recur over time; 2) Film shows us two future assumptions about epidemics and pandemics: an apocalyptic vision and a hardly positive perspective as reflected on the big screen. And this is how film acts as a vaccine, by exposing us in small and repeated doses to the emotions and reflections that epidemics and pandemics elicit in us, in pursuit of knowledge, prudence and resilience against these diseases. (AU)

Open Secrets: Silence, Suppression, and Memory in the History of Canada's 1918-20 Influenza Pandemic.

For several decades, the 1918-20 global influenza outbreak has been called "the forgotten pandemic." Although recent scholarly and public interest in the pandemic has complicated the narrative of forgetting, the label has stuck. Highlighting historical evidence of influenza's long-term impact upon survivors, family, and community in Canada, the flu stories presented here, diverse in form and content, verify that a key question in pandemic influenza history is not whether the pandemic was forgotten or remembered, but by whom, and in what ways, it has been suppressed - or foregrounded. By moving beyond the classic epidemic plot line, with beginning, middle, and end, historians can find new methodologies and evidence with which to more fully understand the influenza pandemic's unfolding intersection with colonialism, war, social inequality, and labour struggles in the 20th century.

Zika en silencio epidemiológico / Zika in epidemiological silence

La enfermedad por virus del Zika ha sufrido una importante disminución en la notificación de casos. A nivel mundial se observa un descenso aproximado del 58%, comparado con el mismo periodo en 2020. En México ocurre una situación similar, pues en la semana epidemiológica 48 solamente se han confirmado 34 casos. Dicha situación coincide con la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2, la cual se vive desde el 2019; sin embargo, es de suma importancia reestablecer las acciones de vigilancia epidemiológica enfocadas en el Zika para así continuar con las medidas de prevención y control dirigidas a minimizar el impacto de la enfermedad.

Zika virus disease has suffered a significant decrease in case reporting. Worldwide, an approximate decrease of 58% is observed, compared to the same period in 2020. Mexico is experiencing a similar situation, given that at epidemiological week 48 only 34 cases have been confirmed. This situation coincides with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which has been experienced since 2019; however, it is of the utmost importance to reestablish epidemiological surveillance actions aimed at Zika to continue with prevention and control measures focused on minimizing the impact of the illness.

Palaeoecological data indicates land-use changes across Europe linked to spatial heterogeneity in mortality during the Black Death pandemic.

The Black Death (1347-1352 CE) is the most renowned pandemic in human history, believed by many to have killed half of Europe's population. However, despite advances in ancient DNA research that conclusively identified the pandemic's causative agent (bacterium Yersinia pestis), our knowledge of the Black Death remains limited, based primarily on qualitative remarks in medieval written sources available for some areas of Western Europe. Here, we remedy this situation by applying a pioneering new approach, 'big data palaeoecology', which, starting from palynological data, evaluates the scale of the Black Death's mortality on a regional scale across Europe. We collected pollen data on landscape change from 261 radiocarbon-dated coring sites (lakes and wetlands) located across 19 modern-day European countries. We used two independent methods of analysis to evaluate whether the changes we see in the landscape at the time of the Black Death agree with the hypothesis that a large portion of the population, upwards of half, died within a few years in the 21 historical regions we studied. While we can confirm that the Black Death had a devastating impact in some regions, we found that it had negligible or no impact in others. These inter-regional differences in the Black Death's mortality across Europe demonstrate the significance of cultural, ecological, economic, societal and climatic factors that mediated the dissemination and impact of the disease. The complex interplay of these factors, along with the historical ecology of plague, should be a focus of future research on historical pandemics.

Tras el tsunami del COVID-19, ¿de vuelta a la normalidad? / After the COVID-19 tidal wave: Should things go back to normal?

No disponible

El anhelo de los congresos presenciales / Yearning for face-to-face meetings

Nadie podía presagiar que aquel primer caso de infección por SARS-CoV-2 identificado en el mes de diciembre de 2019 en la ciudad de Wuhan, capital de la provincia de Hubei, en la República Popular China, acabaría cambiando tanto nuestras vidas.