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[Molecular epidemiology of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains isolated from paediatric patients]

Ozgen Köseoğlu1, Burçin Sener, Deniz Gür

  • 1Hacettepe Universitesi Tip Fakültesi, Mikrobiyoloji ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, Ankara.

Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni
|August 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections show high genomic diversity in pediatric patients, suggesting environmental colonization rather than clonal spread. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole remains the most effective treatment against these resistant strains.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Context:

  • Limited alternative therapies for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections necessitate epidemiological understanding.
  • Nosocomial infections caused by S. maltophilia pose a significant challenge in healthcare settings.
  • Molecular typing methods like ERIC-PCR are crucial for tracking bacterial strains during outbreaks.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. maltophilia strains isolated from pediatric patients.
  • To determine antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. maltophilia in a university hospital setting.
  • To assess the genomic diversity and clonality of S. maltophilia isolates using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR).

Summary:

  • A total of 40 S. maltophilia isolates from pediatric patients and an environmental source were analyzed.
  • High resistance rates were observed for most tested antimicrobials, with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showing the highest activity.
  • ERIC-PCR analysis revealed significant genomic diversity, with 24 major and 4 minor strain profiles, indicating low clonality.

Impact:

  • The findings suggest that S. maltophilia colonization may originate from the hospital environment, with subsequent infection influenced by antibiotic pressure.
  • Low clonality implies that patient-to-patient transmission is less likely than endogenous acquisition.
  • Understanding the molecular epidemiology and resistance patterns is vital for developing effective prophylaxis and treatment strategies against S. maltophilia infections.

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