Phylogeography and genetic diversity of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica in France

The aim of this study was to characterize the biodiversity of F. tularensis in France and neighboring countries through whole genome sequencing and genotyping of 350 strains of human and animal origins. The identification of specific and discriminative genetic markers and the investigation of phylogenetic relationships between isolates allowed improving our knowledge about the epidemiology of tularemia in France.