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Multilocus sequence typing of Neisseria meningitidis directly from cerebrospinal fluid
P Kriz1, J Kalmusova, J Felsberg
1National Reference Laboratory for Meningococcal Infections, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
MLST typing of Neisseria meningitidis directly from clinical material was introduced in the National Reference Laboratory for Meningococcal Infections in Prague. Four cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained from patients with suspected meningococcal invasive disease. In all samples, all classical laboratory methods gave negative results and the only positive method was PCR, which revealed Neisseria meningitidis group C (two specimens) and group B (two specimens), respectively. MLST performed directly from cerebrospinal fluid revealed that the strains causing the two group C infections were of sequence type (ST) 11, while the two group B infections were characterized as ST-32 and ST-33 respectively. Multi-locus sequence typing of meningococci directly from clinical material offers the opportunity to improve further the surveillance of meningococcal disease and has now been introduced into the routine portfolio of tests employed at the national reference laboratory of the Czech Republic.
Insights
Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of Neisseria meningitidis directly from clinical samples improves disease surveillance. This advanced molecular technique identifies specific bacterial strains from cerebrospinal fluid, aiding in tracking meningococcal infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease Surveillance
Background:
- Neisseria meningitidis causes invasive meningococcal disease.
- Traditional laboratory methods can fail to detect the pathogen in clinical samples.
- Molecular methods like PCR are crucial for early diagnosis.
Observation:
- Four cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with suspected meningococcal disease were analyzed.
- Standard laboratory tests yielded negative results for all samples.
- PCR identified Neisseria meningitidis in all four samples (two group C, two group B).
Findings:
- Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) performed directly on cerebrospinal fluid identified specific strains.
- The two group C Neisseria meningitidis isolates belonged to sequence type (ST) 11.
- The two group B Neisseria meningitidis isolates were identified as ST-32 and ST-33.
Implications:
- Direct MLST from clinical material enhances the ability to subtype Neisseria meningitidis.
- This method improves the surveillance of meningococcal infections.
- The Czech Republic's national reference laboratory has integrated direct MLST into routine diagnostics.