Molecular typing of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Hadar:: evaluation and application of different typing methods

A highly discriminatory molecular typing system for isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (S.) serovar Hadar was developed based on the data obtained from 34 epidemiologically unrelated S. Hadar isolates from Germany and Brazil. Plasmid profile analysis and macrorestriction analysis with the enzymes XbaI, SpeI and BlnI represented the most discriminative typing methods. In contrast, ribotyping as performed with a gene probe that recognized the entire rrn operon did not reveal any differences between the S. Hadar isolates. IS200 typing was not applicable due to the lack of insertion elements of this type in all S. Hadar isolates included in this study. The combination of the results of plasmid analysis and macrorestriction analysis subdivided the 34 S. Hadar isolates into 32 different genomic groups. The high discriminatory power of these methods confirmed their suitability as effective typing methods for epidemiological studies on S. Hadar isolates. The practical application of this molecular typing system to S. Hadar isolates of the same flock obtained during a 15 month period strongly suggested recurring introduction of genomically different S. Hadar isolates instead of a single introduction of S. Hadar followed by subsequent spread within the flock. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.