Validation of a pXO2-A PCR assay to explore diversity among Italian isolates of Bacillus anthracis strains closely related to the live, attenuated Carbosap vaccine.

ABSTRACT: Several circulating Bacillus anthracis strains isolated in Italy and belonging to the A1.a cluster, genotype 3 (A1.a-3) are genotypically indistinguishable from Carbosap, a live attenuated vaccine strain, containing both pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids. The genotype was assessed by using eight-locus multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis. We describe here the use of a ninth locus able to explore variability among strains that have the same genotype. It is important to be able to genotype the wild isolate of B. anthracis strains from outbreaks of anthrax in areas where Carbosap vaccination of cattle and sheep is common practice. A total of 27 representative field strains isolated in Italy and four vaccinal strains, namely, Carbosap, Sterne, Pasteur I, and Pasteur II, were characterized by

SUBMITTER: Muscillo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1234070 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature