Increased genetic diversity of Neisseria meningitidis isolates after the introduction of meningococcal serogroup C polysaccharide conjugate vaccines

J Clin Microbiol. 2005 Sep;43(9):4649-53. doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.9.4649-4653.2005.

Abstract

During the 1990s, the incidence of meningococcal disease was high in the United Kingdom. This was due primarily to an increase in serogroup C disease, particularly that within the ET-37/ST-11 genetic lineage. Serogroup C meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines were introduced in the United Kingdom in 1999, but the sequence types of meningococci causing disease since that time have not yet been reported. We have used serogrouping and multilocus sequence typing to characterize meningococci from patients with invasive disease over a 4-year period and show that there is a significant increase in genetic diversity but no genetic evidence of capsule switching.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Variation*
  • Humans
  • Meningococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Meningococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Meningococcal Infections / prevention & control*
  • Meningococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Meningococcal Vaccines / immunology
  • Neisseria meningitidis / classification*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / genetics
  • Neisseria meningitidis / isolation & purification*
  • Polysaccharides / immunology
  • United Kingdom

Substances

  • Meningococcal Vaccines
  • Polysaccharides
  • serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccine