Phylogeography of Francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica in France

Abstract

AIM: To investigate the phylogeography of French Francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica isolates. METHODS AND RESULTS: Canonical SNPs and MLVA were used to genotype 103 French F. tularensis ssp. holarctica isolates. We confirmed the presence of one subclade, the central and western European group (B.Br.FTNF002-00), and identified four major MLVA genotypes with no obvious geographical differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of geographical resolution among MLVA genotypes suggests rapid dispersal, convergent evolution or a combination of the two. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study expands knowledge of the phylogeography of one of the two dominant European F. tularensis ssp. holarctica subclades and illustrates the need for additional SNP discovery within this subclade.