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Identification of infant food as a vehicle in a nosocomial outbreak of Citrobacter freundii : epidemiological subtyping by allozyme, whole‐cell protein and antibiotic resistance
Author(s) -
Thurm V.,
Gericke B.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1994.tb01652.x
Subject(s) - subtyping , citrobacter freundii , epidemiology , outbreak , microbiology and biotechnology , citrobacter , antibiotic resistance , biology , identification (biology) , bacillus cereus , environmental health , antibiotics , medicine , virology , bacteria , enterobacteriaceae , genetics , gene , escherichia coli , computer science , ecology , programming language
A total of 38 Citrobacter freundii strains was isolated from patients and their environment at a neonatal intensive care unit of a large hospital where colonization and clinical diseases due to the agent had been observed. Epidemiological investigations were carried out by subtyping, for which a combination of allozyme, whole‐cell protein and resistance pattern analysis was used. Infant formula was identified as a vehicle of nosocomial spread. This shows that the role of foods in the transmission of hospital infections should not be underestimated. The combination of methods applied, in particular a limited enzyme set, is recommended also for epidemiological investigations of food‐borne infections and establishment of their causes.