Emergence in Italy of a Neisseria meningitidis clone with decreased susceptibility to penicillin.
A rise in invasive diseases due to Neisseria meningitidis C:2b:P1.5 with decreased penicillin susceptibility occurred in Italy during the last 2 years. Real-time PCR identified the Peni phenotype, and the penA sequence revealed the mosaicism of the gene. Molecular analyses assigned the isolates to a single emergent clone of the hypervirulent A4 cluster.
Department of Infectious, Parasitic & Immuno-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanita', Rome, Italy.
Paola
P
Stefanelli
Cecilia
C
Fazio
Arianna
A
Neri
Tonino
T
Sofia
Paola
P
Mastrantonio
D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009030:Mosaicism / Q000235:genetics; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004269:DNA, Bacterial