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Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2004 - Volume 132, Issue 05  


Genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance of clinical and environmental Vibrio cholerae suggests that many serogroups are reservoirs of resistance

L. C. CAMPOS a1c1, V. ZAHNER a2, K. E. S. AVELAR a1, R. M. ALVES a1, D. S. G. PEREIRA a1, J. M. VITAL BRAZIL a1, F. S. FREITAS a2, C. A. SALLES a2 and D. K. R. KARAOLIS a3
a1 Departamento de Bacteriologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
a2 Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
a3 Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA

Article author query
campos lc   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
zahner v   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
avelar ke   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
alves rm   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
pereira ds   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
vital brazil jm   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
freitas fs   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
salles ca   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
karaolis dk   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Vibrio cholerae is an important human pathogen and the cause of cholera. Since genetic variation and antibiotic resistance of strains have implications for effective treatment of the disease, we examined the genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance profile in 92 clinical strains (serogroup O1) and 56 environmental strains (O1 antigen, 42 strains; non-O1 antigen, 14 strains) isolated in Brazil between 1991 and 1999. Clinical and environmental O1 strains showed greater drug resistance compared to environmental non-O1 strains. Nearly all clinical O1 strains were resistant to one or more antibiotics while half of the environmental O1 and non-O1 strains were resistant to one or more antibiotics. No plasmids or class 1 integrons were detected in the strains by PCR analysis. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis (MLEE) suggests most of the O1 strains belong to a single (South American) clone that is related but different to seventh-pandemic strains isolated from other parts of the world. Our results show that there is a close genetic relationship between clinical and environmental O1 strains and that many serogroups and the environment can be a reservoir for antibiotic resistance.

(Accepted May 21 2004)


Correspondence:
c1 Author for correspondence. (Email: lccampos@ioc.fiocruz.br)

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