Increase in meningococcal disease associated with the emergence of a novel ST-11 variant of serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis in Victoria, Australia, 1999-2000.
In the years 1999-2000, there was an increase in the incidence of meningococcal disease in Victoria, largely caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C. This change was associated with a shift in age distribution of cases, with relatively more disease appearing in the 15-29 year age group, and with 40/58 serogroup C isolates in 2000 exhibiting a new macrorestriction pattern (pattern A). Thirty-four of 52 pattern A isolates tested displayed the novel phenotype C:2a:P1.4, and were consistently porA VR type P1.7-2,4 by DNA sequencing. Nine of 10 representative pattern A isolates analysed displayed a housekeeping gene allele profile (ST-11) that is characteristic of the electrophoretic type (ET)-15 variant that has caused outbreaks in Canada, the Czech Republic and Greece. Meningococci belonging to the ST-11 complex that were isolated in Victoria prior to 1999 did not display either restriction pattern A or PorA VR type P1.7-2,4.
Tribe
D E
DE
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Zaia
A M
AM
Griffith
J M
JM
Robinson
P M
PM
Li
H Y
HY
Taylor
K N
KN
Hogg
G G
GG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010641:Phenotype; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial