Second generation subtyping: a proposed PulseNet protocol for multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157)

Most bacterial genomes contain tandem duplications of short DNA sequences, termed "variable-number tandem repeats" (VNTR). A subtyping method targeting these repeats, multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA), has emerged as a powerful tool for characterization of clonal organisms such as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157). We modified and optimized a recently published MLVA scheme targeting 29 polymorphic VNTR regions of STEC O157 to render it suitable for routine use by public health laboratories that participate in PulseNet, the national and international molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance. Nine VNTR loci were included in the final protocol. They were amplified in three PCR reactions, after which the PCR products were sized using capillary electrophoresis. Two hundred geographically diverse, sporadic and outbreak- related STEC O157 isolates were characterized by MLVA and the results were compared with data obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using XbaI macrorestriction of genomic DNA. A total of 139 unique XbaI PFGE patterns and 162 MLVA types were identified. A subset of 100 isolates characterized by both XbaI and BlnI macrorestriction had 62 unique PFGE and MLVA types. Although the clustering of isolates by the two subtyping systems was generally in agreement, some discrepancies were observed. Importantly, MLVA was able to discriminate among some epidemiologically unrelated isolates which were indistinguishable by PFGE. However, among strains from three of the eight outbreaks included in the study, two single locus MLVA variants and one double locus variant were detected among epidemiologically implicated isolates that were indistinguishable by PFGE. Conversely, in three other outbreaks, isolates that were indistinguishable by MLVA displayed multiple PFGE types. An additional more extensive multi-laboratory validation of the MLVA protocol is in progress in order to address critical issues such as establishing epidemiologically relevant interpretation guidelines for the MLVA data.     

肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列分型分析的评价

目的 评价不同肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列(VNTR)位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列(MLVA)分型的可行性.方法 选取已报道使用的肠炎沙门菌11个VNTR位点,对中国不同时间和地区分离的16株菌进行初步评价,选取具有单一扩增条带的位点进行104株肠炎沙门茵的MLVA分型分析.对这些菌株同时进行脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)分析,比较MLVA分型方法与PFGE分型方法对菌株分型能力的强弱.结果 初筛得到7个VNTR位点用于扩大菌株的分析,这些位点将104株菌分为16个MLVA型别,D值为0.7222,这些菌株同时被分为22个PFGE型别,D值为0.7974.对两种方法各自所分的最大组包含的菌株进行比较,发现PFGE具有更强的分辨能力;从频数分布看,PFGE方法分型结果比较分散,MLVA分型较为集中.结论 用于国际肠炎沙门菌分型具有扩增多态性的VNTR位点在国内分离株中并不都具有多态性结果,在MLVA方法学建立中应选择更多的VNTR位点进行广泛的筛选才有利于国际实验室间的方法的统一.

Abstract：

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of the application of variable-number tandem repeat(VNTR)loci of Salmonella Enteritidis(S. enteritidis)in subtyping mutiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis(MLVA).Methods A total of 16 isolates of S.enteritidis from different place and time in China were preliminarily assessed by choosing 11 reported VNTR loci.the loci with single amplified bands were picked to subtype all 104 S.enteritidis isolates.The isolates were also analyzed by pulse field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)to compare the superiority or inferiority of MLVA method and PFGE method.Results Seven VNTR loci were selected from the preliminary screening to expand the analysis,and the 7 VNTR loci had grouped 104 of S.enteritidis isolates into either 16 MLVA subtypes or 22 PFGE subtypes.with the D value at 0.7222 and 0.7974,respectively.Comparing with the isolates in MLVA subtypes.the isolates in PFGE showed a stronger resolving power.Meanwhile the results in PFGE showed a more disperse frequency distribution than those in MLVA.Conclusion These results indicate that some VNTR locus which have shown a good polymorphism intemationaUy,may fail to show polymorphism in China.thereby.more VNTR loci should be included in MLVA and the wide screening may benefit the unity of global laboratorial methods.     

Introduction to United States Department of Agriculture VetNet: status of Salmonella and Campylobacter databases from 2004 through 2005

In 2003 the United States Department of Agriculture established USDA VetNet. It was modeled after PulseNet USA, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance. The objectives of USDA VetNet are: to use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to subtype zoonotic pathogens submitted to the animal arm of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS); examine VetNet and PulseNet PFGE patterns; and use the data for surveillance and investigation of suspected foodborne illness outbreaks. Whereas PulseNet subtypes 7 foodborne disease-causing bacteria- Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Yersinia pestis, and Vibrio cholerae-VetNet at present subtypes nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes and Campylobacter from animals, including diagnostic specimens, healthy farm animals, and carcasses of food-producing animals at slaughter. By the end of 2005, VetNet had two functioning databases: the NARMS Salmonella and the NARMS Campylobacter databases. The Salmonella database contained 6763 Salmonella isolates and 2514 unique XbaI patterns, while the Campylobacter database contained 58 Campylobacter isolates and 53 unique SmaI patterns. Both databases contain the PFGE tagged image file format (TIFF) images, demographic information, and the antimicrobial resistance profiles assigned by NARMS. In the future, veterinary diagnostic laboratories will be invited to participate in VetNet. The establishment of USDA VetNet enhances the mission of the agriculture and public health communities in the surveillance and investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks.     

肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列分型分析的评价

目的 评价不同肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列(VNTR)位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列(MLVA)分型的可行性.方法 选取已报道使用的肠炎沙门菌11个VNTR位点,对中国不同时间和地区分离的16株菌进行初步评价,选取具有单一扩增条带的位点进行104株肠炎沙门茵的MLVA分型分析.对这些菌株同时进行脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)分析,比较MLVA分型方法与PFGE分型方法对菌株分型能力的强弱.结果 初筛得到7个VNTR位点用于扩大菌株的分析,这些位点将104株菌分为16个MLVA型别,D值为0.7222,这些菌株同时被分为22个PFGE型别,D值为0.7974.对两种方法各自所分的最大组包含的菌株进行比较,发现PFGE具有更强的分辨能力;从频数分布看,PFGE方法分型结果比较分散,MLVA分型较为集中.结论 用于国际肠炎沙门菌分型具有扩增多态性的VNTR位点在国内分离株中并不都具有多态性结果,在MLVA方法学建立中应选择更多的VNTR位点进行广泛的筛选才有利于国际实验室间的方法的统一.     

肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列分型分析的评价

目的 评价不同肠炎沙门菌可变数目串联重复序列(VNTR)位点用于多位点可变数目串联重复序列(MLVA)分型的可行性.方法 选取已报道使用的肠炎沙门菌11个VNTR位点,对中国不同时间和地区分离的16株菌进行初步评价,选取具有单一扩增条带的位点进行104株肠炎沙门茵的MLVA分型分析.对这些菌株同时进行脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)分析,比较MLVA分型方法与PFGE分型方法对菌株分型能力的强弱.结果 初筛得到7个VNTR位点用于扩大菌株的分析,这些位点将104株菌分为16个MLVA型别,D值为0.7222,这些菌株同时被分为22个PFGE型别,D值为0.7974.对两种方法各自所分的最大组包含的菌株进行比较,发现PFGE具有更强的分辨能力;从频数分布看,PFGE方法分型结果比较分散,MLVA分型较为集中.结论 用于国际肠炎沙门菌分型具有扩增多态性的VNTR位点在国内分离株中并不都具有多态性结果,在MLVA方法学建立中应选择更多的VNTR位点进行广泛的筛选才有利于国际实验室间的方法的统一.     

自贡市2007-2010年鼠伤寒沙门菌感染的脉冲场凝胶电泳分析

目的 回顾性分析自贡市2007-2010年分离到的沙门菌菌株,评估分子分型技术在食源性传染病暴发识别和处置中的价值。 方法 对自贡市2007-2010年从食品和腹泻患者中分离的沙门菌进行脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)实验,用 BioNumerics软件分析菌株之间的相似度。 结果 55株沙门菌中,来源于2007-2008年的10个腹泻患者粪便和2008年的15个皮蛋中的25株鼠伤寒沙门菌菌株PFGE带型相似度为100%,均为P9带型。 结论 感染鼠伤寒沙门菌的皮蛋是导致自贡市2007-2008年10名患者腹泻暴发的污染源,为快速准确识别食源性疾病暴发并及时溯源、控制,应在食品安全监测中普及PFGE等分子分型技术。     

Salmonella montevideo infections associated with salami products made with contaminated imported black and red pepper --- United States, July 2009-April 2010

In August and September 2009, PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, detected a multistate cluster of Salmonella Montevideo infections with an indistinguishable pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern (XbaI PFGE pattern JIXX01.0011). Cases were geographically dispersed, and the age and sex distributions were typical for reported Salmonella cases. Montevideo is the seventh most common Salmonella serotype in the United States; of 1,225 PFGE patterns in the PulseNet Montevideo database, the outbreak strain pattern is the most common. PulseNet monitored this pattern and detected an increase in the number of isolates in November 2009, leading CDC to begin coordinating a multistate investigation. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which identified 272 cases from 44 states and the District of Columbia, with illness onset from July 1, 2009, to April 14, 2010. In a multistate case-control study, consumption of salami was associated with illness. Purchase information from membership card records helped determine specific brands of Italian-style meat products associated with cases. The outbreak strain was identified in salami products, one company A facility environmental sample, and sealed containers of black and red pepper used to produce company A salami products. This outbreak highlights the importance of preventing post-processing contamination of ready-to-eat products from raw ingredients such as spices.     

Multistate outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium infections associated with eating ground beef--United States, 2004

Salmonella infections cause an estimated 1.4 million human illnesses and 400 deaths annually in the United States. Although the incidence of several other foodborne bacterial infections decreased substantially during 1996-2004, the incidence of Salmonella infections declined modestly. In September 2004, the New Mexico Department of Health received reports from the New Mexico Scientific Laboratory Division of eight Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates that had indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns using XbaI and BlnI restriction enzymes. The patients were from three New Mexico counties and had onsets of illness during August 18-29. A review of PFGE patterns submitted to the National Molecular Subtyping Network for Foodborne Disease Surveillance (PulseNet) database for Salmonella revealed 31 indistinguishable patient isolates of S. Typhimurium from nine states (Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia, with illness onset occurring during August 11-October 2, 2004. The S. Typhimurium isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested. An investigation conducted by state health departments, CDC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) identified ground beef purchased at a national chain of supermarkets as the source of S. Typhimurium infections. Traceback results indicated product originating from a common supplier; however, evaluators determined that plant practices conformed to FSIS production guidelines, and no product recalls were made. This report describes the investigation and underscores the risk for salmonellosis from contact with contaminated ground beef, despite regulatory directives to reduce Salmonella contamination in beef production. Reduced contamination and consumption of raw or undercooked meat and further education of the food service industry and consumers are critical to reducing foodborne salmonellosis.     

Laboratory-based surveillance of non-typhoidal Salmonella infections in Guangdong Province, China

Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens in humans. Laboratory-based surveillance for non-typhoidal Salmonella infection was conducted in Guangdong Province, China to improve understanding about the disease burden and detection of dispersed outbreaks. Salmonella isolated from patients with diarrhea were sent from 16 sentinel hospitals to local public health laboratories for confirmation, serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE patterns were analyzed to identify clusters representing potential outbreaks. Between September 2009 and October 2010, 352 (4%) Salmonella isolates were obtained from 9167 stool specimens. Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (45%) and Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (13%) were the most common serotypes, and multidrug resistance was high, especially in Salmonella Typhimurium isolates. PFGE patterns of obtained Salmonella isolates were found to be diverse, but a unique PFGE pattern comprising 53 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates were found to occur almost exclusively in infants. Epidemiologic studies are ongoing to determine whether a common exposure is the source of the Salmonella Typhimurium strain frequently isolated from infants.     

Tandem repeat analysis for surveillance of human Salmonella Typhimurium infections

In Denmark, as part of the national laboratory-based surveillance system of human enteric infections, all Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates are currently subtyped by using phage typing, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We evaluated the value of real-time typing that uses multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeats analysis (MLVA) of S. Typhimurium to detect possible outbreaks. Because only a few subtypes identified by PFGE and phage typing account for most infections, we included MLVA typing in the routine surveillance in a 2-year period beginning December 2003. The 1,019 typed isolates were separated into 148 PFGE types and 373 MLVA types. Several possible outbreaks were detected and confirmed. MLVA was particularly valuable for discriminating within the most common phage types. MLVA was superior to PFGE for both surveillance and outbreak investigations of S. Typhimurium.     

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtyping database for foodborne Salmonella enterica serotype discrimination

Nontyphoid Salmonella is one of the main causes of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and is responsible for 65% of reported outbreaks of foodborne diseases in France. Serotyping is widely used for isolate preliminary identification, but it poorly discriminates strains. Rapid, efficient molecular subtyping tools have therefore been developed for the investigation of outbreaks. We evaluated the performance of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method for discrimination of 31 Salmonella serotypes frequently isolated in France. We set up a genomic database of Salmonella strains isolated from food, animals, the environment, and humans to improve the management of contamination and reactions to foodborne disease outbreaks. We studied 1128 isolates by PFGE, according to the standardized PulseNet protocol. We identified 452 PFGE patterns, 67.5% of which corresponded to a single isolate. The ability of this method to distinguish between isolates was estimated by calculating the Simpson index and the 95% confidence interval. Values obtained ranged between 0.33 (0.11-0.54) to 0.99 (0.96-1.00), depending on serotype. Epidemiological information about isolates was used for analyses of intra- and interserotype diversity results and for determining whether PFGE patterns were linked to the source of the isolate. Clustering analysis of the PFGE patterns obtained confirmed that serotype and PFGE genotype were closely linked. Some PFGE patterns were identified as major patterns, each of these patterns being found in at least 10 isolates. The database generated has already proved its effectiveness in epidemiological investigations in livestock production and foodborne outbreaks.     

肠炎沙门菌PFGE分子分型及耐药性研究

目的：对本地区及相邻地区2004～2007年分离的肠炎沙门菌菌株的分子分型及耐药性进行分析。方法：采用PFGE进行分子分型,利用药敏卡通过仪器对分离菌株进行药敏检测。结果：5起肠炎沙门菌食物中毒分离的菌株分成3型,其中2型之间存在3条带的差异,菌株间有相近关系。结论：PFGE是一种非常有效的分子分型方法,建立细菌PFGE指纹图谱数据库及PulseNet,对于控制食源性疾病非常重要。     

A comparison of Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b isolates of clinical and food origin in Austria by automated ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

In this study, two typing methods, automated ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), were evaluated for the subtyping of Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b. The strains originated from patients and food samples collected in Austria during 2001-2005 and from Europe and North America in the World Health Organization collaborative study on the subtyping of this species. The largest group of Austrian clinical isolates was of the same PFGE subtype as those isolated from foodborne outbreaks in Switzerland and in the United States. Another subtype of clinical isolates from Austria was indistinguishable to that obtained from isolates responsible for a foodborne outbreak in the United States in 1985. Although the discriminatory power of PFGE was higher than that of automated ribotyping, some PFGE types were differentiated by ribotyping. Thus, combining data obtained by both automated ribotyping and PFGE increases the strain discrimination. Still, many of the Austrian strains remain indistinguishable from strains of foodborne outbreaks in other countries although there is no known epidemiological relation. This complies to previous studies which show the highly clonal nature of L. monocytogenes 4b strains which are responsible for both large outbreaks and sporadic cases.     

2005-2007年河南省甲型副伤寒沙门菌PFGE分型

目的了解2005-2007年河南省甲型副伤寒沙门菌流行基因型别。方法菌株用XbaI限制性内切酶酶切,脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)进行分型,NTSYSpc 2.1软件聚类分析。结果来自河南省登封市伤寒、副伤寒沙门菌监测点的70株甲型副伤寒人源分离菌株,根据XbaI酶切PGFE基因指纹图谱分析,70株菌出现三个PFGE基因型别,分别是0001、0002、0007基因型,其中0001是首次在河南发现的甲型副伤寒基因型别。结论 0001基因型2005年在河南省首次发现,2006-2007年成为甲型副伤寒在当地流行的优势基因型。     

脉冲场凝胶电泳在沙门菌食物中毒溯源中的应用研究

目的用脉冲场凝胶电泳（PFGE）方法,追踪某次沙门菌食物中毒的来源,确定中毒食品,快速控制传染源。方法对食物中毒中分离的肠炎沙门菌用XbaI酶切总DNA,用脉冲场凝胶电泳（PFGE）法进行分子分型,用BioNumerics软件对PFGE分型图谱进行电子化数据分析,绘出聚类分析图。结果脉冲场凝胶电泳（PFGE）分型方法对患者样本分离的242株肠炎沙门菌进行分子分型,型别基本一致,表明是同一批食物中毒;从三文治等蛋糕制品中分离的9株菌株与患者分离株图谱完全一致,表明此次食物中毒的源头为某蛋糕厂生产的三文治等食品。结论脉冲场凝胶电泳技术适用于菌株的同源性的分析和传染源的追踪。     

Molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis isolates from humans by antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a major serovar associated with human salmonellosis. A total of 425 clinical S. Enteritidis isolates of human origin were collected between June 2009 and September 2010 from North Carolina. The isolates were further characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, antimicrobial resistance coding determinants, virulence genes, and fingerprint profiles to determine whether they were similar or different to the S. Enteritidis strain responsible for the human outbreak due to consumption of contaminated eggs. Ten different antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were observed with the highest frequency of resistance exhibited to ampicillin (n=10; 2.35%). The isolates were predominantly pansusceptible (n=409; 96.23%); however, seven isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR; i.e., resistant to three or more antimicrobials). Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) coding genes (bla(TEM) and bla(PSE)) were detected in the ampicillin-resistant isolates, whereas a single MDR isolate tested positive for class 1 integron (1 kb). The majority of the isolates (n=422; 99.3%) carried the invA, mgtC, stn, sopB, sopE1, and sefA virulence genes. However, 37 (8.7%) and 46 (10.82%) S. Enteritidis isolates tested negative for the plasmid encoded genes spvC and rck, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing of 118 S. Enteritidis isolates by restriction enzymes XbaI and BlnI resulted in seven clusters, each with a discriminatory index (DI) of 0.715 and 0.785, respectively. The combination of XbaI-BlnI patterns generated a dendrogram with 14 clusters and a higher DI of 0.914. The PFGE profile of 80 isolates matched 100% with the S. Enteritidis strain that has been cited for the recent outbreak in the United States due to consumption of contaminated eggs. In conclusion, we identified a genotypic similar S. Enteritidis population in our study based on antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence gene, and PFGE fingerprint profiles.     

Molecular analysis of Salmonella enteritidis isolates from the Caribbean by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), between 1987 and 1996 we analyzed Salmonella enteritidis isolates from gastroenteritis cases in four Caribbean countries: Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. We also determined the resistance of the isolates to 12 antimicrobial agents. Of the 129 isolates of S. enteritidis available for testing, DNA digested by XbaI revealed 13 distinctive PFGE patterns. The most prevalent XbaI PFGE patterns were group 1 (88 of 129 isolates, 68.2%) and group 2 (26 of 129, 20.2%). The patterns found among S. enteritidis isolates correlated with the geographical origin of the isolates. Of the 28 isolates from Barbados, 20 of them (71.4%) belonged to XbaI PFGE group 2, and of the 93 isolates from Trinidad and Tobago, 78 of them (83.9%) belonged to group 1. SpeI digestion of S. enteritidis genome was not as discriminatory as XbaI. Overall, of the 129 isolates, 67 of them (51.9%) exhibited resistance to one or more of the 12 antimicrobial agents that we tested. The prevalence of resistance was 53.8% for the S. enteritidis isolates tested from Trinidad and Tobago, 50.0% for those from Barbados, 28.6% for those from Saint Lucia, and 100.0% for one isolate from the island of Saint Kitts. Resistance was highest to triple sulfur (59 of 129 isolates, 45.7%), followed by furadantoin (10 of 129, 7.8%), ampicillin (7 of 129, 5.4%), and carbamycin (5 of 129, 3.9%).     

Clonal dissemination of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis in Germany

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (Salmonella Infantis) is consistently isolated from broiler chickens, pigs, and humans worldwide. This study investigated 93 epidemiologically unrelated Salmonella Infantis strains isolated in Germany between 2005 and 2008 in respect to their transmission along the food chain. Various phenotypic and genotypic methods were applied, and the pathogenicity and resistance gene repertoire was determined. Phenotypically, 66% of the strains were susceptible to all 17 antimicrobials tested, while the others were almost all multidrug-resistant (two or more antimicrobial resistances), with different resistance profiles and preferentially isolated from broiler chickens. A number of phage types (PTs) were shared by strains from pigs, broiler chickens, and humans (predominated by PT 29). One, PT 1, was only detected in strains from pigs/pork and humans. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subdivided strains in seven different clusters, named A-G, consisting of 35 various XbaI profiles with coefficient of similarity values of 0.73-0.97. The majority of XbaI profiles were assigned to clusters A and C, and two predominant XbaI profiles were common in strains isolated from all sources investigated. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of selected strains representing the seven PFGE clusters revealed that they all belonged to ST32. The pathogenicity gene repertoire of 37 representative Salmonella Infantis strains analyzed by microarray was also identical. The resistance gene repertoire correlated perfectly with the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles, and multidrug-resistant strains were associated with class 1 integrons. Overall, this study showed that two major closely related genotypes of Salmonella Infantis can transmit in Germany to humans through contaminated broiler meat or pork, and consequently presents a hazard for human health.     

Short report: analysis of clonal relationship among Shigella sonnei isolates circulating in Argentina

Thirty-five isolates of Shigella sonnei from patients with diarrhoea in three geographic regions of Argentina were examined for genetic diversity by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and plasmid profile. PFGE of XbaI and BlnI DNA digests confirmed the occurrence of outbreaks in two regions caused by two separate predominant clones of S. sonnei. The third region was characterized by three circulating clones, one of which was possibly associated with an outbreak. Similar plasmids were found in distinct clones and in one outbreak clone five different plasmid profiles were identified. Antimicrobial resistance of the isolates varied from fully susceptible to the agents tested, to resistance to cotrimoxazole, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. Antibiotic resistance did not correlate with plasmid content. This information will form the basis for active surveillance of shigellosis in Argentina and elsewhere in the region through the PulseNet International Network.     

Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella spp. isolates from gulls, fish-meal factories, feed factories, animals and humans in Norway based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

The molecular epidemiology of 98 isolates of Salmonella serovar Agona (n = 27), S. Montevideo (n = 42) and S. Senftenberg (n = 29) from wild-living gulls, fish-meal factories, feed factories, humans and domestic animals was investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and computerized numerical analysis. Two of the S. Agona profiles were identified both in gulls and in two of the factories. In addition, one of these profiles was detected in two infected poultry farms. Two of the S. Montevideo profiles were also identified both in gulls and in two of the factories, and one of these profiles was observed in a human isolate. Four factories shared an identical S. Senftenberg profile. The S. Senftenberg profile found in gulls was not identified in any other source investigated. The presence of isolates with identical PFGE profiles indicates potential epidemiological links between different factories, as well as between gulls and factories.