title: Role of molecular epidemiology in infection control.
abstract: Molecular typing methods have enabled infection control personnel to investigate outbreaks and endemic nosocomial infections more quickly and thoroughly than they could have with basic epidemiologic and microbiologic methods. This article reviews molecular typing methods that have been used successfully in the practice of hospital epidemiology. Included is an explanation of the basic principles of these methods and a description of their strengths and weaknesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pfaller
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Herwaldt
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology / Q000379:methods*; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length