Genetic characterization of Vibrio cholerae isolates from Argentina by V. cholerae repeated sequences-polymerase chain reaction.
We have developed a novel typing method based on Vibrio cholerae repeat sequences (VCR) using primers directed out of the VCR sequences. To evaluate the VCR-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a typing system, 2 categories, efficacy and efficiency, were analyzed in 69 strains of human and environmental V. cholerae O1 toxigenic and nontoxigenic, and non-O1 strains isolated since 1992-2000 from Argentina. The discriminatory power (0.91), stability (0.95), reproducibility (1), typeability (1), rapidity, accessibility, as well ease of use, indicated that the VCR-PCR method provides an alternative useful tool for molecular epidemiology of V. cholerae. The VCR-PCR of V. cholerae isolates showed 29 patterns, of which pattern 1 represented 68% of the V. cholerae O1 isolates, supporting the hypothesis that a clone with epidemic behavior was responsible for the epidemic in Latin America. These results showed a good correlation and a better epidemiologic analysis when the results were compared in parallel with repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences-PCR. In conclusion, VCR-PCR showed excellent performance as a typing method for cholera surveillance programs.
Castañeda
Nancy Claudia
NC
Departamento de Bacteriología, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Av Velez Sarfield 563, 1281, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Pichel
Mariana
M
Orman
Betina
B
Binsztein
Norma
N
Roy
Paul H
PH
Centrón
Daniela
D
D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D041241:Vibrio cholerae O1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044163:Vibrio cholerae non-O1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D004269:DNA, Bacterial