title: Clonal analysis of Haemophilus influenzae type b isolates in the United Kingdom.
abstract: Strains of Haemophilus influenzae type b were collected as part of an epidemiological study of bacterial meningitis in the North East Thames Region (NETR) of England. Subclones of H. influenzae were identified by outer-membrane protein typing and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. These were compared with subclones of H. influenzae type b isolated from elsewhere in the UK. The subclone ET 12.5/OMP 3L was identified in 68% of isolates from cases of meningitis from the NETR. In the isolates from elsewhere in the UK, this subclone was identified in 79% of sterile-site isolates and 91% of isolates from non-sterile sites. This subclone predominated in patients of different ages and from different ethnic groups, which suggests that non-Caucasians are infected with the subclone predominating locally. Since ET 12.5/OMP 3L subclone is the most abundant strain isolated in virtually all other Western European countries, these results provide additional evidence that the genetic diversity in the H. influenzae type b population in Europe is relatively restricted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, London Hospital Medical College.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Urwin
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Musser
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D004798:Enzymes