title: Diversity of Neisseria meningitidis invasive isolates in Italy in the period 2008-2010.
abstract: In the period 2008-2010, 309 Neisseria meningitidis, isolated in Italy within the National Surveillance of the Invasive Meningococcal Diseases, have been tested for their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The main results obtained are: (a) an increase of the strains of serogroup B and a decrease of serogroup C; (b) a phenotypic and genotypic variability of the ST-41/44 clonal complex, the most frequently isolated among serogroup B strains; (c) a decrease of ST-8 clonal complex among serogroup C meningococci whereas strains belonging to ST-11 clonal complex are nowadays the most frequently isolated.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Infectious, Parasitic & Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carannante
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mastrantonio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stefanelli
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010641:Phenotype