Genetic variability of Yersinia pestis in natural foci of the Caspian Region of Kazakhstan (1967–2021)

Genetic variability of Yersinia pestis in natural foci of the Caspian Region of Kazakhstan (1967–2021) | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Genetic variability of Yersinia pestis in natural foci of the Caspian Region of Kazakhstan (1967–2021) Aigul Abdirassilova, Alim Aikimbayev, Duman Yessimseit, Altyn Rysbekova, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7943654/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study presents a comprehensive analysis of epizootological and epidemiological monitoring of natu- ral plague foci in the Caspian region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The spatio-temporal characteristics of the Volga-Ural, Ural-Emba, Pre-Ustyurt, and Manghystau plague foci are examined, including their biocenotic specificity, the composition of primary and secondary hosts, and the spectrum of pathogen vectors. The study included 28 Yersinia pestis isolates collected between 1967 and 2021 and preserved in the National Collection of microorganisms of the NSCEDI. Their phenotypic properties, phage susceptibility, molecular-genetic identifi- cation, and comparative analysis by MLVA-25, SNP-typing, and whole-genome sequencing were assessed. The results demonstrated that most strains belong to the Medievalis biovar while unique genetic features were identi- fied, including the presence of the pCKF plasmid in eight isolates from all four foci of the region. Obtained data confirm the persistence of plague epizootic activity in the region and reveal its genetic variability, underscoring the need for regular monitoring and using modern molecular epidemiology methods. Bacteriology Yersinia pestis genetic variability Caspian region (Kazakhstan) Natural plague foci Medievalis biovar pCKF plasmid Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7943654","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":534680735,"identity":"dcdec296-5e95-4707-bcf6-aa3d1a6a4b2c","order_by":0,"name":"Aigul Abdirassilova","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Aigul","middleName":"","lastName":"Abdirassilova","suffix":""},{"id":534680736,"identity":"1a45f8fe-3f1e-47f4-81f8-fa105f7de9ff","order_by":1,"name":"Alim 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