title: [Clones of Neisseria meningitidis strains in Mali].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to identify strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from 2005 to 2007 in Mali.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a cross-sectional and descriptive study of 1573 meningitidis suspected case cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples before antibiotherapy. The identification of isolated germs was serogroup, serotype, subtype, sequence type, and clonal complexes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CSF samples were taken from children under 1 (30.1%), children between 1 and 4 (26.3%), and children between 5 and 14 years of age (25.7%). Neisseria meningitidis was identified in 144 out of 244 CSF positive samples. Streptococcus pneumoniae (73/244), and Haemophilus influenzae b (44/244) were also present. The most frequent Neisseria meningitidis serogroups were A, W135, and Y. Genotyping of the 33 live Neisseria meningitidis strains showed that three clonal complexes were present, especially serogroup A complex ST-5 with sequence type ST-7 and ST-2859, serogroup W135 complex ST-11 with sequence type ST-11, and serogroup Y complex ST-167 with sequence type ST-167 and ST-192.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction of tetravalent vaccine ACYW135 should be considered in Mali and West Africa.
authors.affiliation: Service de sérologie et d'immunologie infectieuse, Institut national de recherche en santé publique, hippodrome Bamako, Mali. g.ibrim@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guindo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diarra
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bougoudogo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002999:Clone Cells; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012703:Serotyping; D013045:Species Specificity