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Molecular Diversity of Bacillus anthracis in Italy

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata—Anthrax Reference Institute of Italy, Foggia,¹ Dipartimento di Sanità, Patologia, Farmacotossicologia e Benessere degli Animali, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Bari,³ Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy,⁴ Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011-5649²

Received 24 January 2005/ Returned for modification 21 February 2005/ Accepted 1 April 2005

We used multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) to type 64 Bacillus anthracis isolates from outbreaks that have occurred during the past 40 years in Italy. MLVA of the 64 isolates revealed 10 unique genotypes; 9 of these genotypes and the majority of isolates (63/64) belonged to the previously described genetic cluster A1.a. Within the A1.a isolates, two previously described genotypes (G1 and G3), which differ by a single mutation in the pX01 locus, account for the majority of isolates in the country (53/63). The low diversity of B. anthracis genotypes in Italy suggests a single, dominant historical introduction, followed by limited localized differentiation.

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