title: [Use of multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for the study of serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis isolates from Casablanca (Morocco)].
abstract: A previous study showed that B:4:P1.15 was the most frequent phenotype of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in Casablanca (Morocco). To determine if there was an epidemic clone, MLST and PFGE were used to compare 13 B:4:P1.15 strains isolated from September 1999 to December 2000. MLST showed 4 Sequence Types (ST): ST-33 was the most frequent ST (9/13 strains) and 4 strains belonged to 3 newly described STs. Twelve stains belonged to ST-32 complex, and one strain presenting a new ST (ST-2502) did not belong to any known ST complex. The analysis by PFGE showed that the strains were subdivided into 7 clusters, and that there was no epidemic clone. MLST is useful for long-term epidemiological studies on N. meningitidis strains from varied geographical origins. PFGE seemed to be well adapted to the comparison of a small number of strains isolated during a short period within a defined community.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de microbiologie, faculté de médecine de Casablanca,19, rue Tarik-Bnou-Zyad, BP 9154, 20000, Casablanca, Maroc. k.zerouali@caramail.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zerouali
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Looveren
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Mdaghri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boudouma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benbachir
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolas
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009018:Morocco; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010641:Phenotype; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology