RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Webster, C. A. A1 Towner, K. J. A1 Humphreys, H. A1 Ehrenstein, B. A1 Hartung, D. A1 Grundmann, H.YR 1996 T1 Comparison of rapid automated laser fluorescence analysis of DNA fingerprints with four other computer-assisted approaches for studying relationships between Acinetobacter baumannii isolates JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 44 IS 3 SP 185 OP 194 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-44-3-185 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB The relationships between isolates suggested by a novel DNA typing method (RAPD-ALFA) that combines randomly amplified polymorphic DNA with automated on-line laser fluorescence analysis of DNA fragments were compared with those suggested by four other computer-assisted typing strategies (biotyping, antibiogram typing, pulsed-field gel analysis of chromosomal fingerprints and arbitrarily-primed DNA amplification with three different primers) for 25 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii obtained from 12 different hospitals in four countries over a period of 12 years. The results obtained by cluster analysis with two different software packages confirmed that the relationships suggested by RAPD-ALFA were robust and essentially similar to those suggested by the other more laborious computer-assisted typing methods. The technique of RAPD-ALFA appears to offer the possibility of routine on-line molecular identification and typing of isolates from particular hospital wards or units (e.g., intensive care units), and could, therefore, play a key role in the early recognition and prevention of outbreaks of infection., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-44-3-185