PCR based fingerprinting of Enterobacter cloacae

An outbreak of lower respiratory tract infection with Enterobacter cloacae occurred in an intensive care unit in a university teaching hospital. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to assist in the investigation of the outbreak. The technique was readily applied to this organism and permitted differentiation between strains which had identical biochemical profiles and antibiograms. The versatility of this technique makes it attractive for use in hospitals where fingerprinting of any one of the many Gram-negative rods associated with nosocomial infection may be required from time to time.