title: Genetic diversification of Neisseria meningitidis during waves of colonization and disease in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: Although Neisseria meningitidis is a highly variable organism, most invasive disease is caused by a minority of genotypes. Hypervirulent lineages have been identified and their pandemic spread has been traced. During a longitudinal meningococcal colonization study in a district of northern Ghana clonal waves of carriage and disease were observed. Genetic diversification of genoclouds was analysed by pulsed field gel electrophoretic (PFGE) analysis of isolates from healthy carriers and from meningitis patients. Even during the limited time of persistence in the district, microevolution of the dominating genoclouds took place. Population genomic analyses are required to understand the genetic basis for the emergence of new lineages with epidemic potential, which is of crucial importance for the development of long-term global vaccination strategies against meningococcal disease.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstr. 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leimkugel
authors.forename: Abudulai Adams
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Forgor
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dangy
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pflüger
authors.forename: Sebastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gagneux
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pluschke
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D038582:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial