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Identification of Neisseria meningitidis sequence type 66 in Poland

A Skoczynska1, R Konior, E Sadowy

  • 1National Institute of Public Health, National Reference Centre for Bacterial Meningitis, 00-725 Warsaw, Poland. skoczek@cls.edu.pl

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|September 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Two invasive meningococcal disease cases in one family were linked to Neisseria meningitidis sequence type 66 (ST66). This hypervirulent clone, previously seen globally, is reported for the first time in Poland.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis.
  • Specific serogroups and sequence types (STs) are associated with disease outbreaks.
  • Global surveillance of meningococcal clones is crucial for public health.

Observation:

  • Two IMD cases within a single Polish family were investigated.
  • Neisseria meningitidis isolates from both cases exhibited a specific phenotype (C:2b:P1.2,P1.5).
  • Both isolates belonged to sequence type 66 (ST66).

Findings:

  • ST66 is a single-locus variant of the widely distributed ST8 complex.
  • The ST66 clone has been previously identified in Spain, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • This represents the first detection of ST66 meningococcal isolates with this phenotype in Poland.

Implications:

  • The emergence of the ST66 clone in Poland warrants further epidemiological investigation.
  • This finding highlights the potential for global meningococcal clones to emerge in new geographical regions.
  • Enhanced surveillance is necessary to monitor the spread and impact of this hypervirulent lineage.

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