Increase in genetic diversity of Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) strains after introduction of Hib vaccination in The Netherlands.

ABSTRACT: Recently, there has been an increase in The Netherlands in the number of cases of invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib). To study a possible change in the Hib population that could explain the rise in incidence, a multiple-locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) was developed to genotype H. influenzae isolates. The MLVA enabled the differentiation of H. influenzae serotype b strains with higher discriminatory power than multilocus sequence typing (MLST). MLVA profiles of noncapsulated H. influenzae and H. influenzae serotype f strains were more heterogeneous than serotype b strains and were distinct from Hib, although some overlap occurred. The MLVA was used to genotype a collection of 520 H. influenzae serotype b strains isolated from patients in

SUBMITTER: Schouls LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1151946 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature