Invasive meningococcal disease in Quebec, Canada, due to an emerging clone of ST-269 serogroup B meningococci with serotype antigen 17 and serosubtype antigen P1.19 (B:17:P1.19)

J Clin Microbiol. 2006 Aug;44(8):2743-9. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00601-06.

Abstract

During periods of endemic meningococcal disease, serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis is responsible for a significant percentage of invasive diseases, and no particular clone or strain predominates (F. E. Ashton and D. A. Caugant, Can. J. Microbiol. 47: 293-289, 2001), However, in the winter of 2004 to 2005, a cluster of serogroup B meningococcal disease occurred in one region in the province of Québec, Canada. The N. meningitidis strain responsible for this cluster of cases was identified as sequence type ST-269 with the antigenic formula B:17:P1.19. Retrospective analysis of isolates from 2000 onwards showed that this clone first emerged in the province of Québec in 2003. The emergence of this clone of serogroup B meningococci occurred after a mass vaccination against serogroup C N. meningitidis, suggesting possible capsule replacement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antigens, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Child
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA Fingerprinting
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Endemic Diseases
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Meningococcal / epidemiology
  • Meningitis, Meningococcal / microbiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / classification
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / genetics*
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / immunology*
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Quebec / epidemiology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Serotyping

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • DNA, Bacterial