Stenotrophomonas maltophilia responsible for respiratory infections in neonatal intensive care unit: antibiotic susceptibility and molecular typing.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains responsible for respiratory infection in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Tunis City, isolated during 22 months (December 2003-September 2005).


METHODS
Twelve strains of S. maltophilia isolated from tracheal aspirates of distinct infants and two environmental strains were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method.


RESULTS
Unlike a large heterogeneity demonstrated by the antibiotyping method, PFGE identified two concomitant outbreaks consisting of nine, including an environmental strain (clone A), and four strains (clone B), respectively; a distinguishable strain was classified in a unique pattern (PFGE type C). The long-term dissemination of these strains is a characteristic feature of these outbreaks. Improvement of hygienic conditions attributed to a markedly decrease in their isolation frequencies. Concomitant outbreaks and long period persistence of S. maltophilia in NICU is an important finding of this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Identification of two clonal strains of S. maltophilia responsible of respiratory infection. Epidemic strains are hardly eradicated when colonization is established.
Abbassi
M-S
MS
Laboratory of the National Bone Marrow Transplantation Centre, Street Djebel-Lakdhar, Bab-Saadoun, 1006 Tunis, Tunisia.
Touati
A
A
Achour
W
W
Cherif
A
A
Jabnoun
S
S
Khrouf
N
N
Ben Hassen
A
A
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014416:Tunisia
D004269:DNA, Bacterial