Abstract: The invention features a method for typing the strain of a bacterial isolate, the method including the steps of: (a) providing genomic DNA from a bacterial isolate; (b) performing a polymerase chain reaction on the genomic DNA using a first and second primer to amplify genomic DNA comprising a restriction nuclease restriction site, thereby producing an amplicon having the restriction site; and (c) characterizing the amplicon of step (b), thereby typing the strain of the bacterial isolate. The invention also features a kit for distinguishing between bacterial strains comprising a set of primer pairs which, when used in a PCR reaction of genomic DNA from a sample of a bacterial isolate amplify DNA across a site for a restriction endonuclease, the amplified DNA being polymorphic between strains of the bacteria.