Risk of cross-colonization and infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a holiday camp for cystic fibrosis patients.
The risk of cross-colonization and subsequent infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in holiday camps for cystic fibrosis patients was studied in 91 children by culturing sputum at their arrival, at their departure, 2 months later, and at regular intervals thereafter. The isolated strains were subjected to serotyping, phage typing, pyocin typing, and genotyping by random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting-PCR. It was concluded from random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting-PCR typing that the Pseudomonas flora was not constant in most children. Some children harbored one genotype, whereas some harbored two or more different genotypes simultaneously. Most culture-positive children easily acquired a strain of another genotype which replaced the former one or coexisted with the original one. The incidence of sputum conversion was 7.7% in previously negative children; the incidence of permanent colonization and infection was 1.9%. This risk was comparable with that observed in the community. We conclude that the risk of cross-infection is trivial compared with the obvious joy and social benefit derived from a holiday camp.
Hoogkamp-Korstanje
J A
JA
Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Meis
J F
JF
Kissing
J
J
van der Laag
J
J
Melchers
W J
WJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D001483:Base Sequence; D002165:Camping; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011709:Pyocins / Q000032:analysis; D012703:Serotyping
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011709:Pyocins