Yersinia pestis Orientalis in Remains of Ancient Plague Patients

Abstract

Yersinia pestis DNA was recently detected in human remains from 2 ancient plague pandemics in France and Germany. We have now sequenced Y. pestis glpD gene in such remains, showing a 93-bp deletion specific for biotype Orientalis. These data show that only Orientalis type caused the 3 plague pandemics.

Keywords

• Yersinia pestis
• plague
• paleomicrobiology
• dental pulp
• dispatch
• France