[Molecular epidemiological study on Vibrio cholerae O139].

Genomic DNA from 56 Vibrio cholerae O139 strains isolated in various countries was digested with Sfi I or Not I and analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Eight different PFGE patterns were identified. Although the patterns of a large majority of CT-gene-positive epidemic strains isolated in India, Bangladesh and Thailand were the same or similar, but were slightly different from those of two CT-positive strains from India and Nepal. On the other hand, the patterns of CT-negative three strains from Argentine, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were apparently different not only from each other, but also from those of epidemic CT-positive strains. The pattern of one V. cholerae O1 E1 Tor strain isolated in India and the pattern of epidemic V. cholerae O139 resemble each other in many points.