[Phenotypic and genotypic (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis) charaterization of 96 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the F. Bourguiba hospital (Monastir, Tunisia)].
OBJECTIVE
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of 96 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered in a Tunisian teaching hospital during a 16-month period.


METHODS
All the isolates were characterized by serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility typing and genotyping with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).


RESULTS
Forty-one isolates out of 96 (43%) were recovered from two intensive care units (medical and chirurgical). Most of the isolates (48%) belonged to serotype O:11. Among the 13 antibiotypes, three multidrug resistant ones were mostly observed within the two intensive care units. Genotyping showed 83 RAPD types and 52 MLVA types. Isolates showing the same serotype could show different genotypes. A limited number of clusters was highlighted with MLVA typing, of which an outbreak of nine cases within the surgical intensive care unit.


CONCLUSIONS
Except this outbreak of nine cases, the heterogeneity observed for most of the P. aeruginosa isolates showed that outbreak situations were rare in the F. Bourguiba hospital during the study period. MLVA genotyping is a good tool for genotyping P. aeruginosa clinical isolates.
Ben Haj Khalifa
A
A
Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Armand-Trousseau, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 26 Avenue du Dr-A-Netter, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France.
Vu-Thien
H
H
Pourcel
C
C
Khedher
M
M
Mastouri
M
M
Moissenet
D
D
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005838:Genotype; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D010641:Phenotype; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012703:Serotyping; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial