%0 Journal Article %A DAI Rui-xia %A HE Jian %A JIN Juan %A LI Cun-xiang %A LI Sheng %A QI Zhi-zhen %A WU Hai-lian %A WU Hai-sheng %A XIN You-quan %A YANG Xiao-yan %A ZHANG Qi %T Etiological analysis and determination of antibiotic resistance-related genes of Yersinia pestis in Guoluo Tibetan autonomous prefecture Etiological analysis and determination of antibiotic resistance-related genes of Yersinia pestis in Guoluo Tibetan autonomous prefecture %D 2019 %R 10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2019.02.012 %J Chinese Journal of Vector Biology and Control %P 167-171 %V 30 %N 2 %X Objective To provide a scientific basis for plague prevention and control in Guoluo Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Qinghai province, China (hereinafter referred to as Guoluo prefecture), by etiological analysis and determination of the antibiotic resistance-related genes of Yersinia pestis in that area. Methods A series of experiments including sugar alcohol fermentation test, toxicity test, virulence factor assay, plasmid analysis, and different region (DFR) genotyping were conducted on 13 Y. pestis strains isolated from Guoluo prefecture from 1978 to 2016. According to the gene sequences (aminoglycosides streptomycin-resistant strA and strB; beta-lactam antibiotics-resistant tem and ctx-m; and sulfonamides-resistant sul1 and sul2) published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (U.S.), a pair of primers were designed for each gene. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the above 6 antibiotic resistance-related genes was carried out using the DNAs from the above 13 Y. pestis strains as templates, to detect whether they carried antibiotic resistance-related genes. Results According to the biochemical grouping, of the 13 test strains, 9 belonged to Qing-Tibet Plateau ecotype, and 4 belonged to Qilian Mountain ecotype. As shown by the results of the toxicity test, all the 13 strains were velogenic strains and 11 contained four Y. pestis-specific virulence factors. The test strains contained 2 types of plasmids with a molecular weight of 6×106, 45×106, and 65×106 versus 6×106, 45×106, and 52×106, respectively. The DFRs were divided into 4 genomovars, i.e., genomovar 5 (7 strains), genomovar 8 (4 strains), genomovar 36 (1 strain), and genomovar 01b (1 strain). In case of valid positive and negative controls, PCR assay of the antibiotic-resistant genes revealed a negative result for all the above 13 Y. pestis strains, and no strain was found to be resistant to streptomycin, beta-lactam antibiotics, or sulfonamides. Conclusion The strains isolated from Guoluo prefecture show the characteristics of Y. pestis from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Despite the fact that no antibiotic-resistant strains were found, which demonstrate high toxicity; therefore, it is necessary to enhance plague surveillance and health promotion to prevent plague spreading from animals to humans. %U http://www.bmsw.net.cn/EN/10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2019.02.012