Genetic diversity of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C ST-4821 in China based on multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis.
Neisseria meningitidis sequence type (ST)-4821 was first reported in China in 2003, and a new hyper-virulent lineage has been designated as the ST-4821 complex. A large number of N. meningitidis ST-4821 strains have been identified in China since 2003; however, the microevolution characteristics of this complex are unclear. Different combinations of variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) loci were used in multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) to analyze 118 N. meningitidis serogroup C ST-4821 strains isolated from seventeen provinces between 2003 and 2012. Additionally, MLVA with five VNTR loci was performed due to its high discriminatory power. One hundred and eighteen isolates were found to comprise 112 subtypes based on MLVA, and 16 outbreak-associated strains were clustered into one group. These data indicate a high level of diversity for N. meningitidis ST-4821 due to microevolution in the last decade. In addition, the results revealed high similarity between isolates from the same geographic origins, which is helpful when monitoring the spread of N. meningitidis serogroup C ST-4821 and will provide valuable information for the control and prevention of bacterial meningitis in China.
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, P.R. China; State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, P.R. China; Jinan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan City, Shandong Province, P.R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Xiaoying
X
Shan
Jinan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan City, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
Ji
J
Zhang
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, P.R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Haijian
H
Zhou
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, P.R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Bingqing
B
Zhu
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, P.R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Li
L
Xu
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, P.R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Zhujun
Z
Shao
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
Baofa
B
Jiang
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000379:methods*; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D058974:Phylogeography