Both O:K-serotyping and PFGE typing are highly discriminative typing methods. PFGE is the most discriminative method and is excellent for typing outbreaks with few isolates. If large numbers of isolates are to be typed, a more convenient strategy might be first to K- or O:K-serotype isolates followed by PFGE typing of possible identical isolates. Since K- or O:K-serotyping is a definitive typing method, while PFGE typing is a comparative one, PFGE cannot, for the time being, replace O:K-serotyping for surveillance purposes.
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