Potential capsule switching from serogroup Y to B: The characterization of three such Neisseria meningitidis isolates causing invasive meningococcal disease in Canada.
Three group B Neisseria meningitidis isolates, recovered from meningococcal disease cases in Canada and typed as B:2c:P1.5, were characterized. Multilocus sequence typing showed that all three isolates were related because of an identical sequence type (ST) 573. Isolates typed as 2c:P1.5 are common in serogroup Y meningococci but rare in isolates from serogroups B or C. Although no serogroup Y isolates have been typed as ST-573, eight isolates showed five to six housekeeping gene alleles that were identical to that of ST-573. This suggested that the B:2c:P1.5 isolates may have originated from serogroup Y organisms, possibly by capsule switching.
Tsang
Raymond Sw
RS
Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Diseases.
Law
Dennis Ks
DK
Tyler
Shaun D
SD
Stephens
Gwen S
GS
Bigham
Mark
M
Zollinger
Wendell D
WD