Emerging of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup

Abstract

Background: An important bacterial meningitis causative organism, Neisseria meningitidis, has a high burden of morbidity and mortality in the African meningitis belt. Identifying meningococcal serotypes circulating in the region is also mandatory for appropriate vaccine introduction.

Objective: To investigate and confirm the meningitis outbreak causative agents in Gambela region, Ethiopia.

Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from Gambela refugee camp were sent to the national microbiology laboratory (Ethiopian Public Health Institute) for etiological culture and sensitivity plus serotype identification. Specimens were cultured on Blood agar and Chocolate agar then further serotyping was done by real time PCR. Multilocus sequence typing was done at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo Norway.

Result: Eight specimen were processed and out of these, six of them were positive for N.meningitidis serotype C, one Hib and one pneumococcus were identified. Genomic sequence of N.meningitidis serotype C showed that the strain was ST-11592, belonging to the ST-103 clonal complex, with PorA: P1.5-1, 10-4, which is similar with isolates from Arbaminch carriage study in 2014. But it was different from strain responsible for the outbreaks in Niger and Nigeria with ST- 10217 in 2015.

Conclusion: N.meningitides serotype C is newly emerging outbreak causing pathogen in Ethiopia which requires vaccine together with the existing ones