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. 2022 Jan-Feb;26(1):102330.
doi: 10.1016/j.bjid.2022.102330. Epub 2022 Feb 15.

Identification of the nasopharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis by 16S rRNA Gene sequencing in asymptomatic adolescents and young adults in Cartagena, Colombia (2019-2020)

Marlon Macias-Mendoza  1 , Alfredo Montes-Robledo  2 , Cindy Arteta-Acosta  3 , Rosa Baldiris-Avila  4 , Wilfrido Coronell-Rodríguez  5
Affiliations

Identification of the nasopharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis by 16S rRNA Gene sequencing in asymptomatic adolescents and young adults in Cartagena, Colombia (2019-2020)

Marlon Macias-Mendoza et al. Braz J Infect Dis. 2022 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

The bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, a strictly human pathogen, can cause meningitis, meningococcemia, sepsis, and death; repeatedly it scause outbreaks around the world. The frequency of asymptomatic carriage is often high in adolescents and young adults, increasing the invasive meningococcal disease risk and likelihood of transmission. However, detailed analyses of meningococcal carriage in this population in Colombia, particularly in coastal areas, are lacking. In this study, the prevalence and characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis carriage were evaluated in asymptomatic adolescents and young adults (11-25 years old) in Cartagena, Colombia. Oropharynx samples were collected from participants between August and December 2019. The phenotypic identification of bacteria was performed by conventional methods and biochemical testing. Molecular identification to the species level was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In total, 12 of 648 samples were positive for Neisseria meningitidis by 16S rRNA sequencing, indicating a prevalence of 1.9%. Isolates were classified into four invasive serogroups (A, B, C, and W) by a comparative sequence analysis of the ribosomal gene. Despite the occurrence of meningococcal disease in Cartagena city in the last several years, the frequency of oropharyngeal carriage in adolescents and young adults was low. Serogroup A had not been previously reported in nasopharyngeal samples in Colombia. This is the first report of Neisseria meningitidis on the Colombian Caribbean coast based on 16S rRNA sequencing and is expected to guide the development of vaccination and follow-up strategies.

Keywords: Carriage; Nasopharynx; Neisseria meningitis; Serogroups.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Processing and identification of strains, isolated from adolescents by conventional, automated, and molecular methods in Cartagena, Colombia 2019.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of 12 Neisseria meningitidis isolated in adolescents by age-ranged, Cartagena-Colombia 2019.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Phylogenetic relationships among Neisseria meningitidis isolates from adolescents in Cartagena, Colombia 2019.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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