Here we report the accuracy with which three molecular techniques (PCR fing
erprinting, multiplex PCR and macrorestriction profiling) distinguished Sal
monella enterica Typhimurium DT104 (hereafter referred to as DT104) from ot
her related strains of Salmonella. Each technique was tested by screening a
set of 20 isolates (10 DT104, eight non-DT104 Typhimurium, one S. enterica
Agona, one S. enterica Newport) and each consistently differentiated DT104
from non-DT104 isolates based on visual inspection of band patterns. The a
ccuracy of each technique was confirmed by computer analysis, As such, thes
e data indicate that each technique could be used to presumptively identify
DT104 isolates as a precursor to phage typing. (C) 2001 Federation of Euro
pean Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All righ
ts reserved.