Phenotypic and molecular characterization of invasive serogroup W135 Neisseria meningitidis strains from 1990 to 2005 in Brazil

Abstract

Summary Objective Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 has been associated with global outbreaks since the 2000 Hajj. Considering that N. meningitidis serogroup W135 is the third most prevalent serogroup isolated in Brazil in the last 10 years, and the possibility that the Hajj-related N. meningitidis serogroup W135 clone has been causing disease in Brazil, the present study characterized invasive N. meningitidis serogroup W135 isolates recovered in Brazil from 1990 to 2005. Methods The isolates were characterized by serotyping, PorA and PorB VR typing, FetA and 16S rRNA typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results Based on MLST, 73% of the isolates were clustered in one major clone of ST-11 complex/ET37 complex. Strains of this clone had the same STs, serotypes and PorA VR types as found in Hajj-related N. meningitidis serogroup W135 clone. One of these strains had the Hajj-2000 outbreak strain genotype, including 16S rRNA gene sequence 31 and 84% relatedness by PFGE. Conclusion Taken together, these data suggest that the Hajj-related N. meningitidis serogroup W135 clone is present in Brazil but has not yet caused a substantial number of infections. Given the emergence of N. meningitidis serogroup W135 globally and the unpredictability of meningococcal disease epidemiology, continued surveillance for this invasive N. meningitidis serogroup W135 clone is needed for control and prevention strategies.

The Global Meningococcal Initiative: global epidemiology, the impact of vaccines on meningococcal disease and the importance of herd protection

“…The Hajj cluster of N. meningitidis represents an expansion of one MenW clone within the ST-11/ET-37 complex [35,84]. However, some other recent MenW outbreaks (such as seen in Brazil, Portugal [85,86], Sweden [87], and Taiwan [2014 meeting of the GMI, manuscript submitted] [41]) have been due to other ST-11 variants. Although the hypervirulent clone W:2a:P1.5,2:ST-11 emerged 10 years ago in Brazil [88], incidence rates have become far higher in Argentina and Chile.…”

Neisseria meningitidisSerogroup W135 Sequence Type 11, Anhui Province, China, 2011–2013

“…During 2011–2013, however, 15 infections caused by N. meningitidis serogroup W135 ST11, which belongs to a hyperinvasive lineage ( 5 ), were reported in Hefei, Anhui Province. Two of the cases (1 each in 2012 and 2013) were fatal and occurred in patients who denied having recently traveled, which suggests that the clone may have spread in an endemic fashion.…”

Mortalidade por doença meningocócica no Município de São Paulo, Brasil: características e preditores

“…Esse complexo clonal tem sido isolado no Brasil 26 . Por outro lado, a maior gravidade da doença meningocócica por esse sorogrupo tem sido apontada em estudos realizados no Brasil e em outros países da Amé-rica do Sul 2,5,27 .…”