Objective: To study the pathogens of meningococcal meningitis (MM) in Beijing, 2005.
Methods: Blood and cerebrospinal fluid specimens from MM patients were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Bacterial strains were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing.
Results: 7 of the blood and 5 of cerebrospinal fluid specimens showed positive results. 105 of the Neisseria meningitides strains were isolated from the specimens of patients, close contacts and healthy carriers. Serogroup A and C Neisseria meningitides strains shared the same patterns of pulsed-fieldgel electrophoresis, respectively. The sequence type of serogroup A Neisseria meningitides belonged to ST7 while the sequence type of serogroup C Neisseria meningitides belonged to ST4821.
Conclusion: Patients suffered from meningococcal meningitis were caused by serogroup A (ST7) and C (ST4821) Neisseria meningitides in Beijing, 2005.