Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis for molecular typing of Shigella sonnei.

A multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) method was developed and evaluated for the subtyping of Shigella sonnei isolates. A total of 26 VNTR loci were identified by exploring the repeat sequence loci in the genomic sequences of S. sonnei strains Ss046 and 53G and by testing 536 isolates that had previously been characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Epidemiology and evolution of genotype and antimicrobial resistance of an imported Shigella sonnei clone circulating in central Taiwan.

Shigella sonnei replaced Shigella flexneri to become the predominant species for shigellosis in 2001 to 2003 in central Taiwan. A total of 425 S. sonnei isolates collected from 1996 to 2004 were available for characterization by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), inter-IS1 spacer typing (IST), and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Usefulness of inter-IS1 spacer polymorphisms for subtyping of Shigella sonnei isolates.

Shigella sonnei contains numerous IS1 elements. The existence of polymorphisms in the length of the inter-IS1 spacer is a basis for the development of a PCR-based method for the subtyping of S. sonnei strains.

Use of a multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis method for molecular subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis isolates.

Background: The multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) technique has been developed for fine typing of many bacterial species. The genomic sequences of Neisseria meningitidis strains Z2491, MC58 and FAM18 have been available for searching potential VNTR loci by computer software. In this study, we developed and evaluated a MLVA method for molecular subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of N.

Molecular epidemiology and emergence of worldwide epidemic clones of Neisseria meningitidis in Taiwan.

Background: Meningococcal disease is infrequently found in Taiwan, a country with 23 million people. Between 1996 and 2002, 17 to 81 clinical cases of the disease were reported annually. Reported cases dramatically increased in 2001-2002.

Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes recovered from scarlet fever patients in central Taiwan from 1996 to 1999.

One hundred seventy-nine Streptococcus pyogenes isolates recovered from scarlet fever patients from 1996 to 1999 in central Taiwan were characterized by emm, Vir, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing methods. The protocols for Vir and PFGE typing were standardized. A database of the DNA fingerprints for the isolates was established.