TABLE 5.

Classification of Yersinia pestis subgroups by L. A. Peisakhis and V. M. Stepanov^a

Y. pestis subspecies	Differential characteristics								Notes
	Fermentation of:			Nitrate reduction	Pesticin, fibrinolytic, and coagulase activities	Susceptibility to pesticin 1	Additional growth factors	Virulence for guinea pigs
	Rhamnose	Melibiose	Arabinose
pestis (main)	−	ND	ND	+	+	−	ND	+	Initially isolated from rats in Hong Kong in 1894
plana	−	−	+	−	+	−	Leucine, tryptophan	+	Circulates in populations of great gerbils in Central-Asian-Desert foci, midday gerbils in the focus between Volga and Ural rivers, and red-tailed gerbils in the Transcaucasian plain
montanatianschanica	−	−	+	+	+	−	Leucine	+	Circulates in populations of gray marmots in Tien Shan mountains and red marmots in Pamirs-Altai mountains
montanahissarica	+	+	−	−	+	±	Leucine	−	Circulates in populations of juniper voles (Microtus carruthersi) and red marmots in Hissarian Ridge (Tadjikistan)
montanacaucasica	+	+	+	+	−	+	Arginine, tyrosine, thiamine	−	Circulates in populations of common voles in Transcaucasian highland
montanaaltaica	+	+	−	−	+	+	Leucine, arginine	−	Circulates in populations of Mongolian pikas in Mountain Altai

^aThis table was compiled from references 11 and 140, modified from reference 11, and used with the permission of the copyright holder (G. P. Aparin and E. P. Golubinskii).