title: Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B isolates from Cartagena, Colombia, 2012-2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neisseria meningitidis is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis. In 2013, an increase in invasive disease caused by N. meningitidis serogroup B occurred in Cartagena, Colombia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to characterize serogroup B isolates recovered from patients with meningococcal meningitis in Cartagena during 2012 and 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five isolates were collected through a national, laboratory-based surveillance, and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics were determined by serosubtyping, serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR). MLST data available were also used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The B:10,15:nt phenotype, associated with clonal complex ST-41/44, was responsible for 68.0% of all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical, epidemiological and molecular characterization of meningococcal disease is necessary for understanding the spread of virulent meningococcal clones and for facilitating the early detection of cases to reduce epidemic risks.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanabria
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Sandra Yamile
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Microbiología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010641:Phenotype; D065288:Serogroup; D055815:Young Adult