[Stenotrophomonas maltophilia as a cause of hospital infections--typing of clinical isolates using pulsed field gel electrophoresis] ].

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) has been recognised now as an important cause of hospital infections. As S. maltophilia is resistant to many antibiotics, attempts have been made to identify the sources of S. maltophilia infection and route of its transmission. From July till October 1998, 22 isolates of S. maltophilia were obtained from 20 patients hospitalised at eight different wards. Strain typing was performed by macrorestriction analysis of chromosomal DNA by use of PFGE (XbaI and SpeI enzymes, in a CHEF DR III drive module). PFGE analysis of 22 S. maltophilia isolates revealed 9 different types designated by letters A to I. The source and route of the spread of infection could not be identified. These results may indicate that we had clusters of S. maltophilia infection in cardiosurgery ward and ICU by types A, B, C and D; in neurosurgical ICU by type E and in urology ICU by type H.