title: Molecular characterization of resistance to rifampicin in clinical isolates of Neisseria meningitidis.
abstract: Among 3904 meningococcal isolates collected between October 2002 and June 2007 by the French Meningococcal Reference Centre, eight (0.20%) were resistant to rifampicin (Rif-R; MIC >1 mg/L) and 27 (0.69%) were intermediate-resistant to rifampicin (Rif-I; MICs between 0.38 mg/L and 1 mg/L) according to the E-test method. The MICs determined by agar dilution were lower, eliminating the E-test intermediate category. All Rif-R isolates had mutations in the rpoB gene, resulting in substitutions at or near amino acid position 552, which were absent in non-resistant isolates. These data suggest that a rifampicin clinical breakpoint of 1.0 mg/L should be adopted for Neisseria meningitidis.
authors.affiliation: Neisseria Unit, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France. skoczek@cls.edu.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoczynska
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruckly
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000592:standards; D009154:Mutation; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; C105078:RNA polymerase beta subunit; D012293:Rifampin