Identification of taxonomic and epidemiological relationships among Campylobacter species by numerical analysis of AFLP profiles

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)-based profiling was performed on 138 strains representing all named Campylobacter species and subspecies . Profiles of 15/16 species comprised 6 to greater than 100 fragments and w ere subjected to numerical analysis. The mean similarity of 48 duplicate, o utbreak and/or 'identical' strain profiles exceeded 94%. Species were clear ly distinguished at the 17.90% similarity (S-) level in the dendrogram. Sub species of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter. hyointestinalis, and bio vars of Campylobacter lari and Campylobacter sputorum were distinguished at higher S-levels. All outbreak or 'genetically identical' strains of C. jej uni subsp. jejuni, Campylobacter coli, C. hyointestinalis and C. sputorum c lustered at S-levels > 92% and were distinguished from unrelated strains. N umerical analysis of AFLP profiles is useful for concurrent identification of taxonomic and epidemiological relationships among most Campylobacter spe cies. (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.