COMPARISON OF METHODS TO IDENTIFY Neisseria meningitidis IN ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS.
Neisseria meningitidis is a cause of several life-threatening diseases and can be a normal commensal in the upper respiratory tract of healthy carriers. The carrier rate is not well established especially because there is no standard method for the isolation of N. meningitidis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare identification methods for the carrier state. Two swabs were collected from 190 volunteers: one was cultured and the other had DNA extracted directly from the sample. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed to determine species and serogroups and compared the results between the methods. PCR for species determination used two pairs of primers and when there was only one amplicon, it was sequenced. The culture technique was positive in 23 (12.1%) subjects while the direct extraction method was positive in 132 (69.5%), p < 0.001. Among the 135 subjects with positive N. meningitides tests, 88 (65.2%) were serogroup C; 3 (2.2%) serogroup B; 5 (3.7%) were positive for both serogroup B and C, and 39 (28.9%) did not belong to any of the tested serogroups. In this study, PCR from DNA extracted directly from swabs identified more N. meningitidis asymptomatic carriers than the culture technique.
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Bacteriology (LIM-54). São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: camilarizek@usp.br; gracilenebio@yahoo.com.br; costasilviaf@ig.com.br; gcih.adm@hc.fm.usp.br.
Camila F
CF
Rizek
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: andremluiz@gmail.com; mahlopes@usp.br.
André Machado
AM
Luiz
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Bacteriology (LIM-54). São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: camilarizek@usp.br; gracilenebio@yahoo.com.br; costasilviaf@ig.com.br; gcih.adm@hc.fm.usp.br.
Gracilene Ramos de
GR
Assis
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Bacteriology (LIM-54). São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: camilarizek@usp.br; gracilenebio@yahoo.com.br; costasilviaf@ig.com.br; gcih.adm@hc.fm.usp.br.
Silvia Figueiredo
SF
Costa
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Bacteriology (LIM-54). São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: camilarizek@usp.br; gracilenebio@yahoo.com.br; costasilviaf@ig.com.br; gcih.adm@hc.fm.usp.br.
Anna Sara
AS
Levin
University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mails: andremluiz@gmail.com; mahlopes@usp.br.
Marta Heloisa
MH
Lopes
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