title: Group A streptococcal meningitis: emm type distribution and theoretical vaccine coverage in children.
abstract: As group A Streptococcus (GAS) meningitis is seldom reported in children, emm-type distribution data are scare. We report eight cases of GAS meningitis in Belgium (2008-2013) and compare molecular characteristics of our strains with a further 55 cases previously reported with their corresponding emm-types. emm1 type was the most frequent (24%) followed by emm6 (11%), emm12 (11%) and emm3 (6%). Together these four emm-types accounted for 52% of the cases, while the rest of the cases are due to 24 different emm-types. These 28 emm-types associated with GAS meningitis belonged to 16 different emm-clusters suggesting that there is no propensity for particular emm-types or emm-cluster to cause meningitis. Theoretical coverage of the 30-valent vaccine candidate would be 77.8% (49/63 isolates) among children with GAS meningitis.
authors: a CHU Dinant-Godinne , Service de Pédiatrie, Université Catholique de Louvain , Yvoir , Belgium.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Tuerlinckx
authors: b Clinique et Maternité St Elisabeth , Service de Pédiatrie , Namur , Belgium.
authors: Emmanuelle
authors: E
authors: Gueulette
authors: c Department of Microbiology , University Hospital Antwerp , Belgium.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Loens
authors: c Department of Microbiology , University Hospital Antwerp , Belgium.
authors: Herman
authors: H
authors: Goossens
authors: d Group A Streptococcus Research Group , Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne , VIC , Australia.|e Centre for International Child Health , University of Melbourne , VIC , Australia.
authors: Pierre Robert
authors: PR
authors: Smeesters
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; C014689:streptococcal M protein