Long-range dispersal moved Francisella tularensis into Western Europe from the East.

ABSTRACT: For many infections transmitting to humans from reservoirs in nature, disease dispersal patterns over space and time are largely unknown. Here, a reversed genomics approach helped us understand disease dispersal and yielded insight into evolution and biological properties of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium causing tularemia. We whole-genome sequenced 67 strains and characterized by single-nucleotide polymorphism assays 138 strains, collected from individuals infected 1947-2012 across Western Europe. We used the data for phylogenetic, population genetic and geographical network analyses. All strains (n=205) belonged to a monophyletic population of recent ancestry not found outside Western Europe. Most strains (n=195) throughout the study area were assigned to a st

SUBMITTER: Dwibedi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359409 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature