Population Snapshot of Invasive Serogroup B Meningococci in South Africa from 2005 to 2008

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Mignon du Plessis, National Health Laboratory Service; Chivonne Moodley, National Health Laboratory Service; Kedibone M. Mothibeli, National Health Laboratory Service; Azola Fali, National Health Laboratory Service; Keith Klugman, Emory University; Anne Von Gottberg, National Health Laboratory Service
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-08
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00401-12
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
• ISSN: 0095-1137
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 2577
• End Page: 2584
• Grant/Funding Information: In addition, Anne von Gottberg has received research funding from Sanofi Pasteur.; Molecular characterization was funded by Pfizer Vaccine Research, Pearl River, NY (2005 serogroup B strains), and Sanofi Pasteur, Lyon, France (2006 to 2008 serogroup B strains).; Surveillance activities were supported by the NICD/NHLS and, in part from 2005 through 2006, by funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development's Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative, transferred via a cooperative agreement (number U60/CCU022088) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA.; From 2005 through 2008, the study was also supported by the CDC, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), and Global AIDS Program (GAP) Cooperative Agreement U62/PSO022901.; Anne von Gottberg and Mignon du Plessis have received research funding from Pfizer.; Keith P. Klugman has received consultancy fees from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, and Novartis.
• Keywords: IMMUNOGENICITY; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE; UNITED-STATES; PROTEIN VACCINE; CAPE-TOWN; Microbiology; IDENTIFICATION; MICROBIOLOGY; NEISSERIA-MENINGITIDIS; PCR; EPIDEMIOLOGY; Science & Technology; DISEASE
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Biology, Microbiology

Abstract

In South Africa, serogroup B meningococcal disease is sporadic. The aim of this study was to characterize serogroup B strains causing invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in South Africa from 2005 to 2008. Isolates, collected through a national, laboratory-based surveillance program for IMD, were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Two thousand two hundred thirty-four cases were reported, of which 1,447 had viable isolates. Intermediate resistance to penicillin was observed in 2.8% (41/1,447) of all strains. Serogroup B was the second most common serogroup (17%, 251/1,447) and increased from 14% (58/414) in 2005 to 25% (72/290) in 2008 (P < 0.001); however, incidence remained stable during the study period (average incidence, 0.13/100,000 population) (P=0.54). Serogroup B was predominantly characterized by three clonal complexes, namely, ST-41/44/lineage 3, ST-32/ET-5, and the new complex ST-4240/6688, which accounted for 27% (65/242), 23% (55/242), and 16% (38/242) of isolates, respectively. ST-4240/6688 was more prevalent among young children ( < 5 years) than other clonal complexes (27/37 [73%] versus 108/196 [55%] ; P=0.04). In the most densely populated province of South Africa, Gauteng, the prevalence of ST-32/ET-5 increased from 8% (2/24) in 2005 to 38% (9/24) in 2008 (P=0.04). Capsular switching was observed in 8/242 (3%) strains. The newly assigned clonal complex ST-4240/6688 was more common in young children.