International Quality Control of Phage Typing of Staphylococcus Aureus

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 511 - 516
• Main Authors: Marples, R. R, Rosdahl, V. T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01-06-1997; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Virus; Typing; Investigation method; Quality control; Lysotype; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Micrococcaceae; Method; Epidemiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Phage
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/00222615-46-6-511

1 Laboratory of Hospital Infection, PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
* StatensSerum Institute, 5 Artillerivej, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
2 Corresponding author: Dr R. R. Marples.
Received September 17, 1996
Accepted November 2, 1996
A questionnaire was sent to the 48 national typing centres for Staphylococcus aureus and 31 replies were received. Methods of phage typing varied and molecular methods were not universally available, although pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was offered by 13 centres. Results for a quality control phage typing exercise were received from 25 centres. Increased standardisation of methods and definitions are indicated. Differences from the consensus patterns were mainly due to typing at an inappropriate dilution of phage, but five strains caused difficulties in many centres. Overall reproducibility was good. Phage typing remains a cost-effective method for epidemiological studies, particularly on a large scale. The strains selected for the quality control exercise included many strains suitable for controlling molecular methods as well as testing phage typing. Molecular methods help in the validation of the conclusions which may be drawn from phage typing.