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Devignat Classification
Biovar
Glycerol Nitrate
Arabinose
Comment
Antiqua
+ +
+
Justinian plague AD
541-544 began in
Egypt; 1
st
pandemic
Mediaevalis
+ -
+
Black Death 1347-
1351 from central
Asia to Europe; 2
nd
pandemic
Orientalis
-
+
+
Yunnan China 1855
global spread
including Americas;
3
rd
pandemic
Microtus
+ -
-
New biovar described
in China; virulent for
rodents but avirulent
for humans
Russian Classification
Y. pestis
subspecies
Rhamnose Mellobiose Arabinose Devignat
Classificati
on
a
pPla
b
Virulence in
guinea pigs
c
pestis
(epidemic)
-
-
+
A, M, O +
+
altaica
+
+
M +
-
-
caucasica
+
+
+
A
-
-
hissarica
+
+
-
M +
-
ulegeica
+
+
+
M +
-
talassica
+
+
-
M +
-