Outbreak of meningococcal disease caused by PorA-deficient meningococci.
An outbreak of 7 cases of group C meningococcal disease occurred during the last week of July and the first week of August 2001 in the southwestern part of The Netherlands. Characterization of the 7 patients' isolates by various typing methods showed that the isolates were identical, except for the expression of PorA. Isolates from 5 patients were PorA deficient. These results show that transmission of PorA-deficient meningococci occurs and that PorA-deficient meningococci can cause invasive disease. PorA-based meningococcal vaccines may provide limited protection.
van der Ende
A
A
Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.vanderende@amc.uva.nl
Hopman
C T P
CT
Keijzers
W C M
WC
Spanjaard
L
L
Lodder
E B
EB
van Keulen
P H J
PH
Dankert
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D018272:Porins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping
D018272:Porins; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria