title: [Experiences in the epidemiological surveillance of foodborne pathogens by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in Peru].
abstract: Foodborne diseases and other enteric infections often occur as outbreaks and cause morbidity and mortality all over the world. In Perú, they represent a serious public health problem, and are caused by a great variety of infectious agents. For epidemiological research, a wide array of typification methods are used. One of the most important tools for the molecular subtyping of bacterial pathogens is the Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), which is a highly precise method that allows the discrimination between different bacterial isolates which are epidemiologically related. The Instituto Nacional de Salud del Perú (INS) is part of the WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network (WHO-GFN) and of the PulseNet Latin American and Caribbean Net (PN-AL & C), with whom it shares the genetic profiles of the isolated pathogenic strains, so that it is possible to compare de genotypes of similar strains found in different countries and to identify the occurrence of epidemic outbreaks in the region, strengthening the regional system of epidemiological surveillance and generating a rapid, coordinated response between the countries. We present the two last years experience including the advances in the use of these strategic tools that have allowed us to characterize genotype patterns implicated in foodborne diseases from isolates recovered in the laboratory network of Peru.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú. mzamudio@ins.gob.pe
authors.forename: María Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zamudio
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meza
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bailón
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez-Urtaza
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D041241:Vibrio cholerae O1; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification