To establish a reference sequence database for molecular typing, we cloned and sequenced the 5'NCR of all 101 HRV serotypes.
To determine the extent of clonality and recombination in populations of different molecular types, we used three different tests of linkage disequilibrium, (i) the incongruence length difference/partition homogeneity test (ILD/PHT), (ii) two measures of index of association (IA and rBarD), and (iii) the phylogenetic incompatibility test.
Utilizing two independent methods of molecular typing, we could show a large genomic diversity among the RT-associated S. aureus strains, which was especially remarkable since the patients were recruited from a comparatively small and stable population of about 350.000 inhabitants.
On the basis of phage typing and molecular typing, we identified 15 different MRSA strains isolated from two or more persons.
Using molecular typing we detected one C. pecorum genotype (denoted with ST 23), associated with these SBE cases from WA, as well as other SBE cases from Australia, England and the USA.
For molecular typing, we used repetitive-element PCR with 18-mer degenerate primers REP1R-Dt (3′-CGGNCTACNGCNGCNIII-5′) and REP2-Dt (3′-CATCCGGNCTATTCNGCN-5′) (N = A, C, G, and T; I = inosine) (11 ).
By combining 2 approaches, quantification of infection in vector ticks and molecular typing, we demonstrate that these birds constitute an epidemiologically important alternative reservoir of LB, as well as a means for wide distribution of the pathogen.
For molecular typing, we first used the species-specific oligonucleotide PCR assay Lib13, as described by Tanriverdi et al. (8 ), with a new sense oligonucleotide primer based on the genome sequences of C. hominis (9 ) and C. parvum (10 ).
However, since the IGS1 was used to describe the VNB molecular type [15], we included IGS1 in the combined dataset.
To determine whether VNII-1 isolates cluster with molecular type VNB, we performed a phylogenetic analysis with representative isolates of each molecular type including sequences of VNB isolates previously identified (bt1, bt31, bt131, bt22) [15].
