The phylogeography of the Yersinia pestis vole strains isolated from the natural foci of caucasian region

: 57 Y pestis bv. caucasica strains were assayed using molecular typing. The results of these assays indicated the presence within this biovar of the three separate clonal clusters and necessity of detachment of the Leninakan mountain mesofocus (subfocus) from the structure of Transcaucasian-highland focus into self-supporting one, as well as inclusion of a part of the Pre-Araks low-mountain natural plague focus in the capacity of the subfocus along with Pre-Sevan mountain and Zanzegur-Karabakh mountain subfoci into the structure of Transcaucasian-highland focus. It was shown that the strains circulating in the East-Caucasian highland plague focus were the most ancient branch of bv. caucasica or even of the entire Y pestis phylogenetic tree.