Characterization of epidemic Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C strains in several Brazilian states

Abstract

Epidemic strains of the Neisseria meningitidis C:2b:Pl.3 electrophoretic type 11 complex were responsible for an outbreak in Curitiba, Parana State, Brazil, from 1990 to 1991. Strains of this complex were also isolated in other Brazilian states and were responsible for a meningococcal disease epidemic in Sao Paulo State in 1990. Serotyping both with monoclonal antibodies and by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was useful for typing these epidemic strains related to the increased incidence of meningococcal disease. The genetic similarity of members of the electrophoretic type 11 complex was confirmed by the ribotyping method by using EcoRl or ClaI endonuclease restriction enzymes.

Population genetics and molecular epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis

“…These methods fall into two groups: those which to some extent index the whole chromosome, i.e. restriction enzyme analysis (12,55,56,80,126) and pulse field gel electrophoresis (18,110,113,120,131,132), and those based on one or a few related genetic elements, such as random amplification of polymorphic DNA (9, 129), repetitive element-based polymerase chain reaction (128), insertion sequence analyses (37,81), ribotyping (52,95,113,116,130), restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products (42,54,71,77,134,137), and sequencing of individual genes that may be related to virulence (16).…”

“…In the last few years, cluster A4 clones have been associated with a high incidence of serogroup B disease in children in Greece (unpublished data) and an increase in serogroup C disease in Brazil (96). Cluster A4 strains from Brazil had, in large part, an unusual serosubtype, P1.3 (95). Isolates of cluster A4 were identified as the cause of outbreaks in Australia in the early 1990s and are the major cause of meningococcal disease in Argentina (unpublished data).…”

Comparison of conventional ribotyping and PCR-RFLP ribotyping for the analysis of endemic strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in a local community over 7 years

“…Moreover, isolates collected from di¡erent geographic locations should increase the degree of diversity of types observed [19]. In our study, all strains were collected from representative unrelated sporadic cases from a restricted well-de¢ned area during an endemic period, in contrast to other studies which have been based primarily on epidemic meningococcal strains [10,11].…”

“…Recently, a simpler method based on the proven concepts of MEE, which characterizes the nucleotide sequences of internal fragments of housekeeping genes (MLST), has also been used to identify meningococcal lineages [8]. A method based on hybridization of endonucleasetreated DNA with rRNA as a probe (ribotyping) [9] has also been successfully applied to the characterization of meningococci for epidemiologic purposes, in particular for the study of epidemic meningococcal strains [10,11]. However, one drawback to ribotyping is that multiple steps are required, making it both time-consuming and labor-intensive.…”

Genetic diversity of Neisseria meningitidis strains isolated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, evaluated by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis

“…In Brazil this complex was detected during an outbreak in São Paulo and in some other Brazilian states (Caugant et al 1987a;Sacchi et al 1992aSacchi et al , 1994, but only three strains related to the ET-5 complex were reported as isolated in the State of Rio de Janeiro during the period of 1986-1989. From 1989 to date, detection of the ET-5 complex in this state, was not reported anymore.…”