title: Use of PFGE to characterize clonal relationships among Belgian clinical isolates of Listeria monocytogenes.
abstract: The Belgian Listeria Reference Centre receives between 30 and 50 human clinical strains of Listeria monocytogenes per year. In general, epidemiological data are absent or incomplete, preventing recognition of episodes of listeriosis. However, data on a clonal relationship between strains can indirectly give an idea of the occurrence of episodes. Human isolates of L. monocytogenes from 2001 were serotyped, their arsenic-cadmium resistance profiles were determined, and they were pulsotyped with the application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using AscI and ApaI restriction endonucleases. On five occasions, two or more strains presented the same serovar, metal-resistance profile and pulsovar, suggesting a clonal relationship. This is the first report to identify accurately potential listeriosis episodes occurring in Belgium.
authors.affiliation: Listeria Reference Centre, Section of Bacteriology, Institute of Public Health, J. Wytsmanstraat 16, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yde
authors.affiliation: Listeria Reference Centre, Section of Bacteriology, Institute of Public Health, J. Wytsmanstraat 16, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genicot
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; C078382:endodeoxyribonuclease AscI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C038485:GGGCCC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D001151:Arsenic