Analysis of the Clonal Relationship Among Nosocomial Isolates of Serratia Marcescens by PFGE and rep-PCR

Abstract

Aim: Serratia marcescens is pathogen associated with nosocomial outbreaks among immunocompromised individuals. Molecular typing methods are useful tools for determining genetic relationships among bacterial isolates. The present study reports the analysis of the clonal relationships among S. marcescens isolates from an outbreak occurred in the neonatal unit (NU) at a referral public hospital of Belém, Pará, Brazilian Amazon, using PFGE and rep-PCR.Material and Methods: Thirty isolates were obtained from referral hospital in the Brazilian Amazon. The molecular typing of isolates was performed using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and semiautomated rep-PCR in the DiversiLab System®.Results: Results revealed that by PFGE there was the formation of three main clusters containing three, 13 and nine isolates. The DiversiLab rep-PCR analysis identified an agreement of 80.64% (25 of the 31 strains) compared to PFGE. Conclusions:The semiautomated rep-PCR was similarly efficient as the PFGE for S. marcescens, demonstrating to be as efficient tool for outbreaks investigation.