Studies of Genetic Diversity of Yersinia pestis Strains Isolated in Central-Caucasian High-Mountain Natural Plague Focus

Studied have been Yersinia pestis strains isolated in Central-Caucasian high-mountain natural plague focus within the period of 1971–2012 using MLVA typing on 25 VNTR-loci. Analysis of dendrogram cluster association with certain areas, objects, and periods of the strain isolation has been carried out by means of Arc GIS 10.1 software. Established has been the connection between 25 MLVA Y. pestis types and spatial and temporal characteristics of strains isolation in the Central-Caucasian high-mountain natural plague focus, and proline requirement too. Clusters, groups and subgroups of the strains are confined to particular territories as it follows: groups are attributed to landscape-epizootiological regions, subgroups – to mountain souslik settlements. Occasionally groups of the strains disseminate onto the other landscape-epizootiological regions of the focus. Genetic variations of plague agent strains within the limits of mountain souslik settlements evolve over time which can be viewed as indirect evidence of microevolution mechanism effect.

Центрально-Кавказский природный очаг чумы, Yersinia pestis, генотипирование, генетические варианты, Central-Caucasian high-mountain natural plague focus, genotyping, genetic variations

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