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Detection of a geographical and endemic cluster of hyper-invasive meningococcal strains

Sophie Bertrand1, Eva Van Meervenne, Thierry De Baere

  • 1National Reference Centre for Neisseria meningitidis, Bacterial Diseases Division, Communicable and Infectious Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health, J. Wytsman Street, 14-16, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. sophie.bertrand@wiv-isp.be

Microbes and Infection
|March 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

A specific Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain (B:NT:P1.14) caused an invasive meningococcal disease outbreak in Belgium. Molecular analysis identified a dominant clonal complex (cc-269) responsible for the cluster, aiding in outbreak detection.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) poses a significant public health threat.
  • Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis is a common cause of IMD outbreaks globally.
  • Understanding strain characteristics and transmission dynamics is crucial for control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a cluster of invasive meningococcal disease cases in Belgium.
  • To characterize the molecular features of the causative Neisseria meningitidis strains.
  • To identify the origin and genetic relatedness of the implicated bacterial isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and identification of Neisseria meningitidis strains from IMD patients.
  • Molecular typing techniques including Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and antigen gene sequencing.
  • Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) for assessing genetic relatedness.
  • Retrospective analysis of historical isolates.

Main Results:

  • 45 out of 513 IMD strains were identified as Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, non-serotypeable, subtype P1.14 (B:NT:P1.14).
  • A significant geographic cluster was observed in northern Belgium.
  • Molecular typing revealed that 39 strains belonged to the clonal complex cc-269.
  • Shared PorA VR1-VR2 (22, 14) and FetA (F5-1) alleles, along with similar PFGE profiles, confirmed genetic relatedness among 38 isolates.
  • Retrospective analysis indicated the emergence of cc-269 strains in West-Flanders in 2004.

Conclusions:

  • A specific B:NT:P1.14 Neisseria meningitidis strain belonging to cc-269 was responsible for an IMD outbreak in Belgium.
  • The combination of molecular typing and classical methods proved effective for outbreak detection and cluster identification.
  • Early emergence of this strain complex was identified, highlighting the importance of ongoing surveillance.

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