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. 2012 Feb;30(2):56-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.eimc.2011.07.022. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis associated with an outbreak in Bahia, Brazil

Maria Cecília O Gorla  1 , Ana Paula S de Lemos, Márcia Quaresma, Rita Vilasboas, Orgali Marques, Márcia U de Sá, Cinthya T Ogassavara, Maria Cristina de C Brandileone, Lee H Harrison, Juarez Dias
Affiliations

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis associated with an outbreak in Bahia, Brazil

Maria Cecília O Gorla et al. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To characterize meningococcal strains isolated from five cases of meningococcal disease (MD) associated with an outbreak in Trancoso - BA, occurred in October 2009. All cases, with the exception of a 39-year-old male, attended a dance party with approximately 1000 youngsters in a rural site.

Materials and methods: The epidemiological investigation was conducted by the Epidemiological Surveillance Service of Bahia State. Meningococcal strains were characterized at Adolfo Lutz Institute, the Brazilian National Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis by conventional techniques (serotype, serosubtype and antimicrobial susceptibility test) and by molecular methods (Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis - PFGE and Multilocus Sequence Typing - MLST).

Results: The PFGE showed 2 closely related restriction profiles, designated as PFGE types A and A1, having 92% relatedness to each other. MLST characterization showed both A and A1 clones were ST-3780, which belongs to the ST-103 complex. All isolates displayed the phenotype C:23:P1.5 and were susceptible to all antibiotics tested.

Conclusions: This is the first reported MD outbreak associated with serogroup C ST-103 complex in Brazil, as well as the party and illicit drug-use associated outbreak.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dendrogram showing PFGE patterns of NheI-digested genomic DNA of the meningococcal strains isolated. The strain identification, PFGE type, sequence type, sequence type complex and phenotype are indicated.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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