Restriction Endonuclease (REA) Typing of Clostridium difficile Isolates from South America

• Published in: Anaerobe Vol. 5; no. 3-4; pp. 209 - 212
• Main Authors: Merrigan, M., Bianchini, H., Canigia, L.Fernandez, Greco, G., Valenzuela Montero, M.C., Gerding, D.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.1999
• Subjects: Clostridium difficile, molecular typing, nosocomial infections; Clostridium difficile, molecular typing, nosocomial infections
• ISSN: 1075-9964; 1095-8274
• DOI: 10.1006/anae.1999.0273

Little is known about the genetic relationship of pathogenic strains of Clostridium difficile from various parts of the world. We used Hind III restriction digestion of whole DNA to type isolates of C. difficile form hospitals in Argentina and Chile. The restriction pattern type of these South American isolates was classified according to the existing REA library of over 400 distinct REA types in over 90 groups, based on typing of more than 6000 clinical isolates. A total of 22 isolates of C. difficile was obtained and typed. The majority of isolates were matched to groups previously seen in North American and Europe. Three toxigenic groups, R, F, and Y, predominated in the isolates. Five isolates were found to be non-toxigenic and three belonged to group M, the most common non-toxigenic group found in North America. Several identical types were recovered from different hospitals, and types of the same group were found in both Buenos Aires and Santiago.