Is pulsed-field gel electrophoresis a valuable tool to identify nosocomial cases of Legionella pneumophila disease?

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to type Legionella pneumophila isolates collected from the water systems of Besançon University Hospital and other hospitals in Franche-Comté region between January 2001 and December 2002 and compare them with patient isolates to identify hospital-acquired pneumonia. Genomic DNA was digested with SfiI and subjected to PFGE in a clamped, homogeneous electric field apparatus. Two of 11 Legionella infections were hospital-acquired.

[Surveillance of biocontamination of the environment of labile blood products: its role in a quality assurance program].

As part of a quality assurance approach aiming at reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of labile blood components (BC), their environment was submitted to a twofold quality control. A yearly control was carried out by the University Hospital Laboratory of Hygiene (UH-LH). Another control was regularly implemented by our Quality Control Laboratory.