title: Esterase electrophoresis: a molecular tool for studying the epidemiology of Branhamella catarrhalis nosocomial infection.
abstract: A new epidemiologic typing method based on electrophoresis of esterases had been developed for differentiating between clinical isolates of Branhamella catarrhalis. Twenty-two epidemiologically significant strains obtained from three Chest Units, a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and a Paediatric Unit were compared with 54 randomly selected strains and 4 reference strains, including the species type strain, ATCC 25238. Thirty-four distinct zymotypes were characterized by polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis of the 80 strains. One infrequent zymotype was found in 2 neonates and another in 2 adults with nosocomial bronchopulmonary infections, suggesting the nosocomial spread of 2 outbreak strains of B. catarrhalis. A more frequent zymotype was isolated from 3 neonates with nosocomial bronchopulmonary infection and from 2 children with nosocomial rhinopharyngitis. The remaining 12 epidemiologically significant strains were of varied zymotypes. This work demonstrates that esterase electrophoresis is a suitable, readily reproducible, stable typing system applicable to the wide range of strains found in B. catarrhalis nosocomial infections.
authors.affiliation: Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Beaujon (Centre Hospitalier Bichat-Beaujon, Université Paris VII, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goullet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Denamur
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suermondt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004950:Esterases / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004950:Esterases