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Survival of Neisseria meningitidis outside of the host: environmental effects and differences among strains
C L Swain1, D R Martin2, D Sim3
1Centre for Biodiscovery and School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington,Wellington,New Zealand.
Abstract:
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative bacterium that lives as a commensal in the human nasopharynx. Meningococci are generally non-invasive, but can invade the nasopharyngeal epithelia and enter the bloodstream causing life-threatening illnesses. It is generally thought that meningococci do not survive for long outside the host, and that transmission requires relatively close contact between hosts. There are some reports, however, that meningococci can survive drying on surfaces, including glass, plastic and cloth. Our examination of N. meningitidis strains dried on glass showed differences in survival of isolates belonging to serogroups B, C and W135, including persistence of Cuban, New Zealand, and Norwegian epidemic strains up to 8 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Survival of a New Zealand epidemic strain isolate NZ98/254 under ambient conditions in the laboratory was greatest in winter suggesting that environmental factors impacted survival. For most isolates, including NZ98/254, survival under controlled conditions at 30 °C was greater at 22% than 30% relative humidity. There were also some differences in survival between carriage and invasive strains. The results suggest that N. meningitidis could be transmitted through contact with surfaces outside the host, potentially including contact through shared drinking vessels.
Insights
Neisseria meningitidis can survive drying on surfaces for up to 8 days, suggesting potential transmission routes beyond close contact. Environmental factors like temperature and humidity significantly impact meningococcal survival outside the host.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Neisseria meningitidis is a common nasopharyngeal commensal bacterium.
- While typically requiring close contact for transmission, survival outside the host has been reported.
- Previous studies suggest limited survival of meningococci in the environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the survival of Neisseria meningitidis dried on surfaces.
- To determine the influence of environmental factors (temperature, humidity) on meningococcal survival.
- To explore potential indirect transmission routes of Neisseria meningitidis.
Main Methods:
- Drying Neisseria meningitidis strains on glass surfaces.
- Assessing survival rates of different serogroups (B, C, W135) under varying temperature and humidity.
- Evaluating survival of specific epidemic strains, including NZ98/254.
Main Results:
- Neisseria meningitidis isolates survived drying on glass for up to 8 days.
- Survival varied among serogroups and epidemic strains, with some persisting longer.
- Survival was influenced by temperature and relative humidity, with lower humidity (22%) favoring survival at 30°C.
- Environmental factors, such as winter conditions, appeared to enhance survival.
Conclusions:
- Neisseria meningitidis can survive desiccation on surfaces for extended periods.
- Environmental conditions play a crucial role in meningococcal viability outside the host.
- Transmission may occur through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces, including shared items.
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