Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) molecular relationship of Hib pathogenous strains isolated in Hanoi

ABSTRACT

34 Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) strains isolated from cerebrospinal fluids (CSFs) of meningitis patients at National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hanoi, between 11/2002 and 12/2003 were biotyped, serotyped and analyzed by using PCR with specific primers, Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with Smal restriction enzyme. The results showed that 24 of 34 Hib strains (70.6%) belong to biotype II; 8 of 34 (23.5%) belong to biotype I. PCR patterns with capsular polysaccharide type b specified primers of the 34 Hib strains were identical. DNA restriction patterns generated by PFGE (so-called PFGE patterns) of the 34 Hib strains were mainly distributed into 2 PFGE patterns. DNA restriction patterns had close relationship to biotype. The presence of PFGE patterns of Hib strains was not related to season