MLVA-typing on Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 isolated from meningitis cases in Niger before the introduction of PCV-13 revealed a low genetic diversity.
BACKGROUND
Serotype 1 was the most prevalent pneumococcal meningitis serotype encountered in Niger over the period 2003-2011 (pre-vaccination era), accounting for 45.3% of infections.


METHODS
Multiple locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) was used to create a genotypic snapshot of a representative subset of the pneumococcal population of serotype 1.


RESULTS
MLVA using 16 markers revealed a homogeneous genetic background of pneumococci serotype 1 from Niger, which clustered with few serotype 1 pneumococci from some African countries, while other African countries displayed different clonal complexes. DNA from Niger and from other African countries were different from pneumococci serotype 1 from European countries.


CONCLUSIONS
MLVA-typing revealed a low genetic diversity among pneumococci serotype 1 from meningitis cases in Niger in the pre-vaccination era.
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), Niamey, Niger.
Abdelkader
A
Alio Sanda
Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Robert-Picqué, Bordeaux, France.
Alexandra
A
Granger Farbos
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), Niamey, Niger.
Amina Amadou
AA
Hamidou
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), Niamey, Niger.
Pascale
P
Vonaesch
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), Niamey, Niger.
Jean-François
JF
Jusot
Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Robert-Picqué, Bordeaux, France.
Jean-Louis
JL
Koeck
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), Niamey, Niger jmcollard@pasteur.mg jm_collard@hotmail.com.
Jean-Marc
JM
Collard
D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000379:methods*; D009548:Niger / Q000453:epidemiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
C538862:13-valent pneumococcal vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines
Genetic diversity; Multiple locus VNTR analysis; Niger; Serotype 1; Streptococcus pneumoniae