Emergence of a virulent clone of Neisseria meningitidis serotype 2a that is associated with meningococcal group C disease in Canada.
Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to characterize 378 isolates of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C recovered during a period of an increase in group C meningococcal disease in Canada. Thirty-four enzyme electrophoretic types were found among the isolates, which were predominantly (96.0%) serotype 2a. One clone (ET 15), characterized by a rarely occurring allele for the enzyme fumarase, was responsible for a focal outbreak in Ontario followed by the spread of group C disease across the province. This clone, which occurred infrequently among strains isolated in 1986, accounted for over 65% of group C strains associated with meningococcal disease in Canada in 1990.
Ashton
F E
FE
National Laboratory for Bacteriology, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health and Welfare, Canada, Ottawa.
Ryan
J A
JA
Borczyk
A
A
Caugant
D A
DA
Mancino
L
L
Huang
D
D
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012703:Serotyping; D014774:Virulence
D004798:Enzymes