Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1990 Aug;28(8):1711–1719. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.8.1711-1719.1990

Characterization of epidemic and nonepidemic Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A strains from Sudan and Sweden.

M A Salih 1, D Danielsson 1, A Bäckman 1, D A Caugant 1, M Achtman 1, P Olcén 1
PMCID: PMC268034  PMID: 1975593

Abstract

A random selection of 25 strains isolated during an epidemic caused by serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis in Sudan (1988), 3 preepidemic meningococcal strains (1985), and 26 serogroup A strains isolated from sporadic cases of meningitis in Sweden (1973 to 1987) were assessed for multilocus enzyme genotypes (ETs), DNA restriction enzyme patterns, outer membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharides, pilus formation, and antibiograms. All of the 25 Sudanese epidemic isolates and 22 of the Swedish strains were of the same or closely related ETs (ETs 3, 4, and 5), corresponding to clone III-1, which has been responsible for two pandemic waves in the last three decades. The earlier pandemic involved Scandinavia, and the last one caused an outbreak during the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia (August 1987), spreading to Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia. The three Sudanese preepidemic isolates (1985) were clone IV-1 (sulfonamide susceptible), which has been resident in the African meningitis belt for the last 25 years. The uniformity of clone III-1 strains (all sulfonamide resistant) from Sudan and Sweden was confirmed by DNA restriction enzyme patterns. ETs 3, 4, and 5 from Sudan and Sweden had 86 to 100% similarity to a Swedish clone III-1 reference strain, whereas ETs 1, 2, 6, and 7 showed 50 to 80% similarity. Class 1 protein for clone III-1 showed serosubtype antigens P1.9 and P1.x, whereas ET6 strains (clone IV-1) had serosubtype P1.7. Lipopolysaccharides were variable in the Sudanese and Swedish strains. Pili were expressed in all clone III-1 isolates from Sudan and Sweden but in none of the clone IV-1 isolates (Sudan, 1985).

Full text

PDF
1711

Images in this article

1715Image
on p.1715
1715Image
on p.1715

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abdillahi H., Poolman J. T. Neisseria meningitidis group B serosubtyping using monoclonal antibodies in whole-cell ELISA. Microb Pathog. 1988 Jan;4(1):27–32. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(88)90045-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Achtman M., Neibert M., Crowe B. A., Strittmatter W., Kusecek B., Weyse E., Walsh M. J., Slawig B., Morelli G., Moll A. Purification and characterization of eight class 5 outer membrane protein variants from a clone of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A. J Exp Med. 1988 Aug 1;168(2):507–525. doi: 10.1084/jem.168.2.507. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BRANHAM S. E. Milestones in the history of the meningococcus. Can J Microbiol. 1956 May;2(3):175–188. doi: 10.1139/m56-023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Band J. D., Fraser D. W. Adverse effects of two rifampicin dosage regimens for the prevention of meningococcal infection. Lancet. 1984 Jan 14;1(8368):101–102. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)90025-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Beam W. E., Jr, Newberg N. R., Devine L. F., Pierce W. E., Davies J. A. The effect of rifampin on the nasopharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis in a military population. J Infect Dis. 1971 Jul;124(1):39–46. doi: 10.1093/infdis/124.1.39. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bjorvatn B., Lund V., Kristiansen B. E., Korsnes L., Spanne O., Lindqvist B. Applications of restriction endonuclease fingerprinting of chromosomal DNA of Neisseria meningitidis. J Clin Microbiol. 1984 Jun;19(6):763–765. doi: 10.1128/jcm.19.6.763-765.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Blakebrough I. S., Gilles H. M. The effect of rifampicin on meningococcal carriage in family contacts in northern Nigeria. J Infect. 1980 Jun;2(2):137–143. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(80)91159-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Caugant D. A., Bøvre K., Gaustad P., Bryn K., Holten E., Høiby E. A., Frøholm L. O. Multilocus genotypes determined by enzyme electrophoresis of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from patients with systemic disease and from healthy carriers. J Gen Microbiol. 1986 Mar;132(3):641–652. doi: 10.1099/00221287-132-3-641. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Caugant D. A., Frøholm L. O., Bøvre K., Holten E., Frasch C. E., Mocca L. F., Zollinger W. D., Selander R. K. Intercontinental spread of a genetically distinctive complex of clones of Neisseria meningitidis causing epidemic disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jul;83(13):4927–4931. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.13.4927. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Caugant D. A., Mocca L. F., Frasch C. E., Frøholm L. O., Zollinger W. D., Selander R. K. Genetic structure of Neisseria meningitidis populations in relation to serogroup, serotype, and outer membrane protein pattern. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jun;169(6):2781–2792. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.6.2781-2792.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Cochi S. L., Markowitz L. E., Joshi D. D., Owens R. C., Jr, Stenhouse D. H., Regmi D. N., Shrestha R. P., Lacharya I., Manandhar M., Gurubacharya V. L. Control of epidemic group A meningococcal meningitis in Nepal. Int J Epidemiol. 1987 Mar;16(1):91–97. doi: 10.1093/ije/16.1.91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Crowe B. A., Abdillahi H., Poolman J. T., Achtman M. Correlation of serological typing and clonal typing methods for Neisseria meningitidis sero-group A. J Med Microbiol. 1988 Jul;26(3):183–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Crowe B. A., Wall R. A., Kusecek B., Neumann B., Olyhoek T., Abdillahi H., Hassan-King M., Greenwood B. M., Poolman J. T., Achtman M. Clonal and variable properties of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from cases and carriers during and after an epidemic in The Gambia, West Africa. J Infect Dis. 1989 Apr;159(4):686–700. doi: 10.1093/infdis/159.4.686. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Eickhoff T. C. In-vitro and in-vivo studies of resistance to rifampin in meningococci. J Infect Dis. 1971 Apr;123(4):414–420. doi: 10.1093/infdis/123.4.414. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Frasch C. E., Zollinger W. D., Poolman J. T. Serotype antigens of Neisseria meningitidis and a proposed scheme for designation of serotypes. Rev Infect Dis. 1985 Jul-Aug;7(4):504–510. doi: 10.1093/clinids/7.4.504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gaunt P. N., Lambert B. E. Single dose ciprofloxacin for the eradication of pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1988 Apr;21(4):489–496. doi: 10.1093/jac/21.4.489. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Greenwood B. M. Selective primary health care: strategies for control of disease in the developing world. XIII. Acute bacterial meningitis. Rev Infect Dis. 1984 May-Jun;6(3):374–389. doi: 10.1093/clinids/6.3.374. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hjetland R., Caugant D. A., Hofstad T., Frøholm L. O., Selander R. K. Serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis of clone III-1 present in western Norway as early as 1969-73. Scand J Infect Dis. 1990;22(2):241–242. doi: 10.3109/00365549009037910. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. KELLOGG D. S., Jr, PEACOCK W. L., Jr, DEACON W. E., BROWN L., PIRKLE D. I. NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE. I. VIRULENCE GENETICALLY LINKED TO CLONAL VARIATION. J Bacteriol. 1963 Jun;85:1274–1279. doi: 10.1128/jb.85.6.1274-1279.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. KIRBY K. S. A new method for the isolation of ribonucleic acids from mammalian tissues. Biochem J. 1956 Nov;64(3):405–408. doi: 10.1042/bj0640405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kim J. J., Mandrell R. E., Hu Z., Westerink M. A., Poolman J. T., Griffiss J. M. Electromorphic characterization and description of conserved epitopes of the lipooligosaccharides of group A Neisseria meningitidis. Infect Immun. 1988 Oct;56(10):2631–2638. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.10.2631-2638.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kristiansen B. E., Bjorvatn B., Lund V., Lindqvist B., Holten E. Differentiation of B15 strains of Neisseria meningitidis by DNA restriction endonuclease fingerprinting. J Infect Dis. 1984 Nov;150(5):672–677. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.5.672. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Kristiansen B. E., Sørensen B., Bjorvatn B., Falk E. S., Fosse E., Bryn K., Frøholm L. O., Gaustad P., Bøvre K. An outbreak of group B meningococcal disease: tracing the causative strain of Neisseria meningitidis by DNA fingerprinting. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Apr;23(4):764–767. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.4.764-767.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Kristiansen B. E., Sørensen B., Simonsen T., Spanne O., Lund V., Bjorvatn B. Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis from different sites in the same patient: phenotypic and genomic studies, with special reference to adherence, piliation, and DNA restriction endonuclease pattern. J Infect Dis. 1984 Sep;150(3):389–396. doi: 10.1093/infdis/150.3.389. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. MILLAR J. W., SIESS E. E., FELDMAN H. A., SILVERMAN C., FRANK P. IN VIVO AND IN VITRO RESISTANCE TO SULFADIAZINE IN STRAINS OF NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS. JAMA. 1963 Oct 12;186:139–141. doi: 10.1001/jama.1963.63710020008016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Mitchison D. A., Ellard G. A., Grosset J. New antibacterial drugs for the treatment of mycobacterial disease in man. Br Med Bull. 1988 Jul;44(3):757–774. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a072281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Moore P. S., Harrison L. H., Telzak E. E., Ajello G. W., Broome C. V. Group A meningococcal carriage in travelers returning from Saudi Arabia. JAMA. 1988 Nov 11;260(18):2686–2689. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Moore P. S., Reeves M. W., Schwartz B., Gellin B. G., Broome C. V. Intercontinental spread of an epidemic group A Neisseria meningitidis strain. Lancet. 1989 Jul 29;2(8657):260–263. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)90439-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Munford R. S., Sussuarana de Vasconcelos Z. J., Phillips C. J., Gelli D. S., Gorman G. W., Risi J. B., Feldman R. A. Eradication of carriage of Neisseria meningitidis in families: a study in Brazil. J Infect Dis. 1974 Jun;129(6):644–649. doi: 10.1093/infdis/129.6.644. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Olcén P., Danielsson D., Kjellander J. The use of protein A-containing staphylococci sensitized with anti-meningococcal antibodies for grouping Neisseria meningitidis and demonstration of meningococcal antigen in cerebrospinal fluid. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1975 Aug;83(4):387–396. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1975.tb00117.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Olyhoek T., Crowe B. A., Achtman M. Clonal population structure of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A isolated from epidemics and pandemics between 1915 and 1983. Rev Infect Dis. 1987 Jul-Aug;9(4):665–692. doi: 10.1093/clinids/9.4.665. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Olyhoek T., Crowe B. A., Wall R. A., Achtman M. Comparison of clonal analysis and DNA restriction analysis for typing of Neisseria meningitidis. Microb Pathog. 1988 Jan;4(1):45–51. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(88)90047-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Peltola H. Meningococcal disease: still with us. Rev Infect Dis. 1983 Jan-Feb;5(1):71–91. doi: 10.1093/clinids/5.1.71. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Poolman J. T., de Marie S., Zanen H. C. Variability of low-molecular-weight, heat-modifiable outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis. Infect Immun. 1980 Dec;30(3):642–648. doi: 10.1128/iai.30.3.642-648.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Salih M. A., Ahmed H. S., Hofvander Y., Danielsson D., Olcén P. Rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis by an enzyme immunoassay of cerebrospinal fluid. Epidemiol Infect. 1989 Oct;103(2):301–310. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800030661. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Salih M. A., Ahmed H. S., Karrar Z. A., Kamil I., Osman K. A., Palmgren H., Hofvander Y., Olcén P. Features of a large epidemic of group A meningococcal meningitis in Khartoum, Sudan in 1988. Scand J Infect Dis. 1990;22(2):161–170. doi: 10.3109/00365549009037897. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Schwartz B., Al-Tobaiqi A., Al-Ruwais A., Fontaine R. E., A'ashi J., Hightower A. W., Broome C. V., Music S. I. Comparative efficacy of ceftriaxone and rifampicin in eradicating pharyngeal carriage of group A Neisseria meningitidis. Lancet. 1988 Jun 4;1(8597):1239–1242. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)92069-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Selander R. K., Caugant D. A., Ochman H., Musser J. M., Gilmour M. N., Whittam T. S. Methods of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for bacterial population genetics and systematics. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 May;51(5):873–884. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.5.873-884.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Shann F., Barker J., Poore P. Chloramphenicol alone versus chloramphenicol plus penicillin for bacterial meningitis in children. Lancet. 1985 Sep 28;2(8457):681–684. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)92927-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Steele R. W., Kearns G. L. Antimicrobial therapy for pediatric patients. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1989 Oct;36(5):1321–1349. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)36770-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Tsai C. M., Frasch C. E., Mocca L. F. Five structural classes of major outer membrane proteins in Neisseria meningitidis. J Bacteriol. 1981 Apr;146(1):69–78. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.1.69-78.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Whittle H. C., Davidson N. M., Greenwood B. M., Warrell D. A., Tomkins A., Tugwell P., Zalin A., Bryceson A. D., Parry E. H., Brueton M. Trial of chloramphenicol for meningitis in northern savanna of Africa. Br Med J. 1973 Aug 18;3(5876):379–381. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5876.379. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Zollinger W. D., Mandrell R. E. Type-specific antigens of group A Neisseria meningitidis: lipopolysaccharide and heat-modifiable outer membrane proteins. Infect Immun. 1980 May;28(2):451–458. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.2.451-458.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES