title: Characteristics of invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype a (Hia) from Nunavik, Canada and comparison with Hia strains in other North American Arctic regions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the microbiological characteristics of invasive Haemophilus influenae serotype a (Hia) isolates from Nunavik (northern Quebec), Canada. The relationship between invasive Hia isolates from Nunavik, Nunavut, Canada, and Alaska, USA will be discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty invasive Hia isolates were recovered from patients in Nunavik from 2010 to 2013 and characterized by biotype, multi-locus sequence typing, IS1016-bexA deletion, antibiotic susceptibility and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 20 Hia isolates were biotype II, sequence type -23, did not have IS1016-bexA deletions and were susceptible to all antibiotics tested. PFGE showed only two patterns, with 19 isolates giving identical molecular fingerprints, and the remaining isolate gave a PFGE pattern >95% similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One major clone of Hia appears to be causing invasive disease in Nunavik, Canada. Based on previous studies, Hia from Nunavut were also typed as ST-23, while invasive Hia isolates from Alaska belonged to either ST-23 or closely related STs. Thus invasive Hia in the North America Arctic belonged to the ST-23 clonal complex and lacked the IS1016-bexA partial deletion.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Diseases, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Electronic address: raymond.tsang@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Raymond S W
authors.initials: RSW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Nunavik Department of Public Health, Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Proulx
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Diseases, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Diseases, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shuel
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de sante publique du Quebec, Institut National de sante publique du Quebec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.affiliation: Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Andree-Anne
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Boisvert
authors.affiliation: Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001110:Arctic Regions; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D012703:Serotyping
keywords: Haemophilus influenzae; invasive disease; serotype a