Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis for Geno-typing of Strains Isolated from Hospital Wastewater, Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND

is one of the most frequent causes of many common bacterial infections. As a potential reservoir, hospital wastewater is considered for the dissemination of bacterial pathogens such as Therefore, research on hospital waste's bacteria by low-cost, rapid and easy molecular typing methods such as multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) can be helpful for the study of epidemics.

METHODS

strains were isolated from hospital wastewater sources in Tehran, Iran, over a 24-month sampling period (Jun 2014- Jun 2016) and identified by standard bacteriological methods. The diversity of repeated sequences of seven variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci was studied by MLVA method base on polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

Overall, 80 isolates were discriminated into 51 different genotypes. Analysis of the MLVA profiles using a minimum spanning tree (MST) algorithm showed two clonal complexes with 71 isolates and only nine isolates were stayed out of clonal complexes in the form of a singleton. High genotypic diversity was seen among strains isolated from hospital wastewaters; however, a large number of isolates showed a close genetic relationship.

CONCLUSION

MLVA showed to be a rapid, inexpensive and useful tool for the analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between strains under the study.