Abstract
A method for typing Haemophilus species is described, based on the analysis of genomic DNA from Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The DNA was extracted by a rapid method and digested with the restriction enzyme BamHI to provide a characteristic 'fingerprint'. The pattern of fragments in the ranges 1-1.6 kb, 1.6-2 kb and 2-3 kb were used to produce a numerical profile of each isolate. In total 97 isolates were examined; 88 from throat swab material isolated from the 15 members of a British Antarctic Survey base and 9 type strains. Seventy-two of the 88 antarctic isolates were H. parainfluenzae and were found to be very diverse, comprising 41 identifiable strains with up to 5 strains being isolated from a single throat swab sample. There was evidence for both carriage and transmission within the isolated community. The technique provided a highly discriminatory method for characterizing Haemophilus strains which is suitable for epidemiological studies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 89-98 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Epidemiology and Infection |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 1993 |
Keywords
- polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis
- hemophilus-influenzae
- escherichia-coli
- clonal analysis
- H-influenzae
- infections
- children
- epidemiology
- transmission
- population