ISSN:
1574-6968
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Thirteen Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis strains obtained from nose and hand of two employees and one patient of a medical ward as well as two S. hemolyticus strains were analysed according to their restriction fragment length patterns (RFLP) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using the restriction enzymes Sma I and Sst II. Species identification of the isolates was performed by a system which includes 20 biochemical reactions. Furthermore, the antibiotic resistance patterns of the strains were determined. While several isolates exhibited identical antibiotic susceptibilities and biochemical profiles, differences in the RFLP were obtained. In three cases, S. epidermidis strains colonizing the skin showed an identical restriction profile as isolates from the mucous membranes of the same person. We concluded that the analysis of staphylococcal strains by PFGE is an important epidemiological tool with high discrimination power.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.1992.tb05363.x
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