SOURCE OF PSEUDOMONAS-CEPACIA - RIBOTYPING OF ISOLATES FROM PATIENTS AND FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

Ribotyping, an analysis of bacterial strain identity based on chromoso mal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, was performed on 68 iso lates of Pseudomonas cepacia recovered from patients receiving care at the two children's hospitals in Philadelphia and from environmental s amples. Twenty different ribotypes were identified. Ribotype R3 predom inated among isolates from all three sources. These findings ore consi stent with the acquisition of P. cepacia from the environment or by pe rson-to-person transmission.