title: Phylogeography of Bacillus anthracis in the country of Georgia shows evidence of population structuring and is dissimilar to other regional genotypes.
abstract: Sequence analyses and subtyping of Bacillus anthracis strains from Georgia reveal a single distinct lineage (Aust94) that is ecologically established. Phylogeographic analysis and comparisons to a global collection reveals a clade that is mostly restricted to Georgia. Within this clade, many groups are found around the country, however at least one subclade is only found in the eastern part. This pattern suggests that dispersal into and out of Georgia has been rare and despite historical dispersion within the country, for at least for one lineage, current spread is limited.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ekaterine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khmaladze
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dawn N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Birdsell
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Amber A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christian B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hochhalter
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Meagan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roxanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nottingham
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Beckstrom-Sternberg
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beckstrom-Sternberg
authors.affiliation: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mikeljon P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nikolich
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Gvantsa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chanturia
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ekaterine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhgenti
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakalashvili
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Lile
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malania
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Giorgi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Babuadze
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Nikoloz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsertsvadze
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abazashvili
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Merab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kekelidze
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsanava
authors.affiliation: National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Paata
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Imnadze
authors.affiliation: Department Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Holly H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.affiliation: Department Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wayne M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Getz
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ofori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gajer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eppinger
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Okinaka
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schupp
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.affiliation: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
authors.forename: Talima
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics*; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide