Temporal phylogeography of Yersinia pestis in Madagascar: Insights into the long-term maintenance of plague.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Yersinia pestis appears to be maintained in multiple, geographically separate, and phylogenetically distinct subpopulations within the highlands of Madagascar. However, the dynamics of these locally differentiated subpopulations through time are mostly unknown. To address that gap and further inform our understanding of plague epidemiology, we investigated the phylogeography of Y. pestis in Madagascar over an 18 year period.

Methodology/principal findings

We generated whole genome sequences for 31 strains and discovered new SNPs that we used in conjunction with previously identified SNPs and variable-number tandem repeats (VNTRs) to genotype 773 Malagasy Y. pestis samples from 1995 to 2012. We mapped the locations where samples were obtained on a fine geographic s

SUBMITTER: Vogler AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5600411 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature