Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus coagulase type VII isolates from staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks (1980-1995) in Tokyo, Japan, by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus coagulase type VII strains have been the strains most frequently isolated from staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks in Tokyo, Japan. We applied pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of chromosomal DNA digested with SmaI to characterize 129 coagulase type VII strains. These were isolated from 129 cases occurring in outbreaks in 35 districts during a 16-year period (1980-1995). The 129 outbreak strains were classified into three types, designated A (n = 115), B (n = 10), and C (n = 4). Types A and C were further divided into 33 (A1 to A33) and 4 (C1 to C4) subtypes, respectively. Strains of the same subtypes were isolated from food poisoning cases in the same districts at time intervals of 1 or 2 to 5 years. PFGE typing appears to be a useful method for subdividing strains of S. aureus coagulase type VII. A combination of coagulase typing and PFGE typing would provide more detailed information than the former method alone in epidemiologic investigations of staphylococcal food poisoning.

• Authors: A Shimizu, M Fujita, H Igarashi, M Takagi, N Nagase, A Sasaki, J Kawano
• Journal: Journal of clinical microbiology (J Clin Microbiol) Vol. 38 Issue 10 Pg. 3746-9 (Oct 2000) ISSN: 0095-1137 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11015395 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Coagulase
• DNA, Bacterial

Topics

• Bacterial Typing Techniques
• Bacteriophage Typing
• Coagulase (genetics)
• DNA, Bacterial (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Disease Outbreaks
• Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
• Foodborne Diseases (epidemiology, microbiology)
• Humans
• Staphylococcal Infections (epidemiology, microbiology)
• Staphylococcus aureus (classification, enzymology, genetics)
• Tokyo (epidemiology)