Recognition of Yersinia enterocolitica multiple strain infection in twin infants using PCR-based DNA fingerprinting

Aims: Yersinia enterocolitica causes several syndromes in humans. The most common presentation is enterocolitis in children, presenting as fever and d iarrhoea. A Y. enterocolitica multiple strain infection in twin infants was investigated. Methods and Results: One isolate was recovered from one patient and two mor phologically-different isolates were recovered from the other infant. Bioch emically, all isolates were identified as Y. enterocolitica group. The geno mic DNA from each strain was purified and DNA fingerprinting was performed. The banding patterns observed for Y. enterocolitica isolates 2 and 3, from patients 1 and 2, respectively, were identical when comparing the presence or absence of major bands. However, Y. enterocolitica isolate 1, from pati ent 1, showed a distinctive banding pattern from isolates 2 and 3. Conclusions: The findings indicate that one infant was colonized by more th an one strain of Y. enterocolitica, demonstrating that multiple strains can colonize and invade a patient. Significance and Impact of the Study: Recognition of multiple strain infect ions can be important in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of Y. enterocol itica infections, as well as in disease epidemiology. The technique describ ed here offers a straightforward method for strain comparison.