Typing and susceptibility to penicillin of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from patients in Cuba (1993-1999).
The susceptibility to penicillin of 111 Neisseria meningitidis strains was assessed by the agar-dilution procedure and serosubtypes were determined by a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies reagents. Thirty-five isolates showed reduced sensitivity to penicillin (MIC > or = 0.1 mg/l and < or = 1 mg/l) and no resistant strains were detected. The most common phenotype was B:4:P1.15 (77.5%) and a rising trend of non-typeable and non-subtypeable strains was detected. The increase in levels of minimal inhibitory concentrations of meningococci to penicillin gives cause for concern and the increase in non-typeable and non-subtypeable isolation demand the use of molecular biology techniques for their typing.
Sosa
J
J
Instituto de Medicina Tropical 'Pedro Kourí', Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. sosa@ipk.sld.cu
Llanes
R
R
Guzmán
D
D
Quintana
I
I
Flores
M
M
Gutiérrez
O
O
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003462:Cuba; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012703:Serotyping
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D010406:Penicillins