Genetic characterization of Vibrio cholerae isolates from Argentina by V. cholerae repeated sequences-polymerase chain reaction.

We have developed a novel typing method based on Vibrio cholerae repeat sequences (VCR) using primers directed out of the VCR sequences. To evaluate the VCR-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a typing system, 2 categories, efficacy and efficiency, were analyzed in 69 strains of human and environmental V. cholerae O1 toxigenic and nontoxigenic, and non-O1 strains isolated since 1992-2000 from Argentina. The discriminatory power (0.91), stability (0.95), reproducibility (1), typeability (1), rapidity, accessibility, as well ease of use, indicated that the VCR-PCR method provides an alternative useful tool for molecular epidemiology of V. cholerae. The VCR-PCR of V. cholerae isolates showed 29 patterns, of which pattern 1 represented 68% of the V. cholerae O1 isolates, supporting the hypothesis that a clone with epidemic behavior was responsible for the epidemic in Latin America. These results showed a good correlation and a better epidemiologic analysis when the results were compared in parallel with repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences-PCR. In conclusion, VCR-PCR showed excellent performance as a typing method for cholera surveillance programs.