STs that share 6 of 7 alleles, i.e. single selleck chemical locus variants, are connected by full lines and grouped into eBURST groups. STs that are members of different eBURST groups but share 5 of 7 alleles,

i.e. dual locus variants, are connected by dashed lines. ST258 shares 4 of 7 alleles with ST259 and the relationship of this triple locus variant to the eBURST groups is represented by a dotted line. All STs in this diagram share fewer than 4 alleles with all STs that have been identified in homeothermic host species (e.g. humans and seals). Three-set genotyping Using the method of Evans and colleagues [16], isolates were identified as serotype Ia, Ib or NT. Further investigation of NT isolates with additional primer sets [30, 31] showed that the isolates belonged to serotype III subserotype 4. Based on the combination of serotype, surface protein genes and MGE, seven 3-set genotypes were distinguished (Figure 1). Three-set genotypes were identical when multiple isolates from a single outbreak

were analysed. Selleckchem Ilomastat Piscine and amphibian isolates from Asia and the Middle-East and all mammalian isolates were positive for IS1381 and ISSag2. IS861 was always found in combination with GBSiI and vice versa but rarely in combination with ISSag1. ISSag1 was found in all mammalian isolates tested but only 3 of 21 epidemiologically Talazoparib independent non-mammalian isolates carried ISSag1. When the Cβ protein gene (bac) was present, it was always found in association with the Cα protein gene (bca) but bca could also present in the absence of bac (Figure 1). Piscine isolates from Latin America (n=6), Australia (n=3) and Europe (n=1), all shared serotype Ib (Figure 1) but none of the surface protein genes or MGE investigated in this study were detected in any of these isolates. Comparison across

methods All O-methylated flavonoid β-haemolytic isolates (n=21, representing 17 epidemiologically independent events) belonged to CCs that are also found in humans and carried at least 3 MGEs (Figure 1). Each CC correlated with a PFGE cluster, although MLST could be more discriminatory than PFGE and vice versa. For example, multiple PFGE types were identified in ST7 and in ST23 (Figure 1). Conversely, multiple STs were identified within PFGE types in CC7 (ST7 and ST500) and CC283 (ST283 and ST491). Results from 3-set genotyping were concordant with MLST and PFGE typing and origin of isolates. All isolates from CC7 (n=14, representing 9 epidemiologically independent events) carried at least 2 surface protein genes and 4 MGEs (IS1381, IS861, ISSag2 and GBSi1), which is more than was observed in any other CC in this study. Within CC7, the dolphin isolate was the most divergent isolate based on MLST, PFGE typing, serotyping and number of surface protein genes. The dolphin isolate and the outbreak strain from Kuwait had one extra MGE, ISSag1, compared with isolates from Thailand (Figure 1), which were identical to each other in 3-set genotype.