POTENTIAL FOR GENE-TRANSFER AMONG ENTEROCOCCI FROM A SINGLE PATIENT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFOUNDING TYPING RESULTS

The results of typing methods used in a study of the epidemiology of e ntcrococci in burn patients showed inconsistencies. The possibility th at these inconsistencies were the result of gene acquisition or loss w as investigated by using 12 isolates of Enterococcus faecalis from a s ingle patient, In vivo and in vitro exchange and loss of genes were ob served. The study showed that the typing results for isolates from thi s patient can be modified by known and demonstrated genetic elements; as a result, the isolates could be divided into between three and seve n strains, In the present study, the SmaI digestion patterns gave the most consistent results, correctly identifying the transconjugants as indistinguishable from recipient strain 196R.