A genotypically indistinguishable strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Australian epidemic strain III: AES III) has previously been found in a proportion of adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Tasmania, Australia. The aim of this study was to identify a source of these infections within the major tertiary referral hospital for the State of Tasmania, and to determine if this strain could be isolated from settings other than the CF lung. A total of 120 isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from clinical and environmental sources within the hospital and from environmental locations in the hospital vicinity. These isolates were genotyped by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute method. Confirmation of similar genotypes identified by RAPD–PCR was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with restriction enzyme SpeI. AES III was not recovered from any source other than the respiratory secretions of CF patients. P. aeruginosa in the non-CF settings was found to be panmictic, and no cross-infection or acquisition of hospital environment strains by patients was observed.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Cystic fibrosis; Epidemiology; Hospital; Molecular epidemiology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Research Division:	Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Research Group:	Medical microbiology
Research Field:	Medical bacteriology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Bradbury, RS (Dr Richard Bradbury)
UTAS Author:	Champion, AC (Dr Alan Champion)
UTAS Author:	Reid, DW (Dr David Reid)
ID Code:	60555
Year Published:	2009
Web of Science® Times Cited:	11
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2010-02-11
Last Modified:	2010-04-14
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