Whole-Genome Characterization of Epidemic Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C and Resurgence of Serogroup W, Niger, 2015.

Cecilia Kretz (1) , Adam C. Retchless (1) , Fati Sidikou (2) , Bassira Issaka (2) , Sani Ousmane (2) , Stephanie Schwartz (1) , Ashley H. Tate (1) , Assimawè Pana (3) , Berthe-Marie Njanpop-Lafourcade (4) , Innocent Nzeyimana (3) , Ricardo Obama Nse (3) , Ala-Eddine Deghmane (5) , Eva Hong (5) , Ola Brønstad Brynildsrud (6) , Ryan T. Novak (1) , Sarah A. Meyer (1) , Odile Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer (2) , Olivier Ronveaux (7) , Dominique A. Caugant (6) , Muhamed-Kheir Taha (5) , Xin Wang (1)

1 CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Atlanta]
2 CERMES - Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (Niamey, Niger)
3 World Health Organization [Niamey]
4 Agence de Médecine Préventive
5 IP - Institut Pasteur [Paris]
6 NIPH - Norwegian Institute of Public Health [Oslo]
7 OMS / WHO - Organisation Mondiale de la Santé / World Health Organization Office

In 2015, Niger reported the largest epidemic of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC) meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa. The NmC epidemic coincided with serogroup W (NmW) cases during the epidemic season, resulting in a total of 9,367 meningococcal cases through June 2015. To clarify the phylogenetic association, genetic evolution, and antibiotic determinants of the meningococcal strains in Niger, we sequenced the genomes of 102 isolates from this epidemic, comprising 81 NmC and 21 NmW isolates. The genomes of 82 isolates were completed, and all 102 were included in the analysis. All NmC isolates had sequence type 10217, which caused the outbreaks in Nigeria during 2013-2014 and for which a clonal complex has not yet been defined. The NmC isolates from Niger were substantially different from other NmC isolates collected globally. All NmW isolates belonged to clonal complex 11 and were closely related to the isolates causing recent outbreaks in Africa.

Keywords: Meningococcal meningitis; Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C; Niger; bacteria; meningitis belt; whole-genome sequencing

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Bacteriology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Genetics

Cecilia Kretz, Adam C. Retchless, Fati Sidikou, Bassira Issaka, Sani Ousmane, et al.. Whole-Genome Characterization of Epidemic Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C and Resurgence of Serogroup W, Niger, 2015.. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2016, 22 (10), pp.1762-1768. ⟨10.3201/eid2210.160468⟩. ⟨pasteur-02056224⟩