title: [Genetic diversity of Peruvian isolates of Leptospira spp. through pulsed field gel electrophoresis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine the genetic diversity of Peruvian isolations of Leptospira spp. through Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The PFGE methodology proposed by Galloway and Levett (2008) was standardized. A database including the PFGE profiles of 65 reference strains was prepared, and the technique was applied in 111 isolates of Leptospira spp. obtained in Peru between 2002 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A great generic diversity of serovars of circulating Leptospira spp. was determined in our country. 57 serovars were identified, 47 out of 97 pathogen isolates. Most frequent serovars were Icterohaemorrhagiae/Copenhageni (n=24) and Canicola (n=7). The most frequent species were L. santarosai (49,5%) and L. interrogans (37,1%). The distribution of species, clusters and serovars changed according to the source of isolate, the environmental context and the origin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is great diversity of circulating serovars in Peru. There are genetic and epidemiological relations among isolates of different sources, and this is related to species, reservoir, environmental context and the origin of the isolate.
authors: Laboratorio de Zoonosis Bacterianas, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú. p_rivera_ramirez@hotmail.com
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Rivera
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Ticlla
authors: Lourdes
authors: L
authors: Balda
authors: Dana
authors: D
authors: Gonzalez
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Céspedes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010568:Peru