Molecular Epidemiology of Type 1 Polioviruses Isolated in Israel and Defined by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Assay

The genomic variability of 27 type 1 polioviruses (PV-1) isolated in Israelduring 1980-1991 was examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of a reverse-transcribed genomic fragment amplified by polymerase chain reaction. By using the restriction enzymes HaeIII, DdeI, and HpaII, strain-specific restriction profiles were generated for the PV-1/Mahoney and PV-1/Sabin strains and 27 wild-type isolates. The profile observedfor PV-1 isolated during an outbreak in 1988 was also observed for PV-1 isolated from different places in Israel in 1982 and 1983, 1987, and 1991