Molecular typing of Japanese Escherichia coli O157 : H7 isolates from clinical specimens by multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis and PFGE.
The multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method to target eight variable-number tandem repeat loci, based on agarose gel electrophoresis separation of multiplexed PCR products, and the PFGE method were applied to clinical isolates of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 with the aim of comparing their performance as methods of typing this bacterium. Using MLVA, a total of 57 isolates from patients in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, were divided into 20 types and classified into 23 PFGE types. Twenty-four isolates from four sporadic infections, four household contact infections and one outbreak that occurred in central parts of Shizuoka prefecture during August to November in 2005 were shown to be the same MLVA type, and most of the isolates had identical PFGE banding patterns, suggesting the diffuse outbreak in these parts of Japan. Thus, there was a good correlation between MLVA types and PFGE types, with both methods displaying broadly similar discriminatory powers. However, the MLVA typing proved to be a much easier and more rapid method for the analysis of E. coli O157 : H7 strain relatedness to identify transmission routes. Hence, our MLVA method would be a suitable technique for routine typing in many laboratories, including public health agencies, and even in hospitals.
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shzuoka-shi, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.|Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Fumihiko
F
Kawamori
Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shzuoka-shi, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.|Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Midori
M
Hiroi
Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Harada
Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Katsuhiko
K
Ohata
Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Kanji
K
Sugiyama
Department of Microbiology, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene, Kita'ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka 420-8637, Japan.
Takashi
T
Masuda
Global COE Program, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.|Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shzuoka-shi, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
Norio
N
Ohashi
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial