title: Use of the oxford multilocus sequence typing protocol and sequencing of the flagellin short variable region to characterize isolates from a large outbreak of waterborne Campylobacter sp. strains in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada.
abstract: The Walkerton (Ontario, Canada) outbreak of waterborne Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni was quite limited in both space and time, making it a good model for exploring the utility of different typing and subtyping methods for the characterization of relationships among isolates of these organisms. We have extended previous work with these organisms through analysis by the Oxford multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and the flagellin short variable region (fla-SVR) sequencing methods. Additional isolates not epidemiologically related to the Walkerton outbreak have also been included. Both sequencing methods identified and differentiated between Walkerton outbreak strains 1 and 2. When these strains were compared with isolates that were not part of the outbreak, the information produced by the fla-SVR method more often correlated with epidemiological findings than that produced by MLST, though both methods were required for optimal discrimination. The MLST data were more relevant in terms of the overall population structure of the organisms. Both mutation and recombination appeared to be responsible for generating diversity among the isolates tested.
authors.affiliation: Bacteriology and Enteric Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada. Clifford_Clark@phac-aspc.gc.ca
authors.forename: Clifford G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: Wilfred R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Cuff
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ciebin
authors.forename: Gehua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D012703:Serotyping; D014871:Water Microbiology