Sequences of pilin genes from four strains of serogroup B of the ovine pathogen Bacteroides nodosus have been determined. These sequences permit comparisons of amino acid sequence between pilins from different subtypes (B1, B2, B3, B4) of the B serogroup and assessment of intraserogroup variation. Pili of B. nodosus strains 234 (B1) and 183 (B2) were produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring...

BACKGROUND In order to inform meningococcal disease prevention strategies, we analysed the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in the province of Quebec, Canada, 10 years before and 10 years after the introduction of serogroup C conjugate vaccination. METHODOLOGY IMD cases reported to the provincial notifiable disease registry in 1991-2011 and isolates submitted for laborator...

A mass immunization campaign for 18-month to 19-year-olds was undertaken in Spain in 1996-1997 because of an epidemic of serogroup C meningococcal disease associated with a C:2b:P1.2,5 strain belonging to the A4 lineage. Surveillance for the "capsule-switching" phenomenon producing B:2b:P1.2,5 isolates was undertaken. Of 2,975 meningococci characterized, B:2b:P1.2,5 and B:2b:P1.2 antigenic comb...

Various meningococcal conjugate vaccines exist against serogroups A, C, W and Y. A new protein-based vaccine targeting serogroup B (MenB) is also now available. The potential of such vaccines to drive serogroup replacement is considered a possible public health concern when implementing nationwide routine immunization programmes. The aim of this work was to investigate if and how serogroup repl...

Immunofluorescence was used as an aid in the antigenic grouping of 14 cultivable treponemes. Antisera were prepared versus each treponemal strain, and the antiglobulins were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate. A common antigen-antibody system, detected in the strains studied, was removed by absorption of each conjugate with Reiter or Borrelia vincentii treponemes. Thus, five categories ...

INTRODUCTION Worldwide public health authorities report 500,000 cases of invasive meningococcal disease with 50,000 deaths per year and 10-15% of sequelae in people affected. This study describes the epidemiology, microbiology, and clinical presentation of this disease in the Panamanian pediatric population. METHODOLOGY  The discharge of patients with a meningococcal invasive disease diagnosi...

Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis is a frequent cause of invasive meningococcal disease, yet there are no effective vaccines suitable for routine immunisation. Limited efficacy has been shown with meningococcal outer membrane vacccines in children 4 years and older. Here we review the status of current research and consider new approaches to development of meningococcal serogroup B vaccines.

We characterized the genetic defect of a capsule-deficient serogroup B meningococcal strain created by Tn916 mutagenesis. The transposon insertion interrupts a capsule biosynthesis gene, synX, which is involved in the production of N-acetyl-D-mannosamine, a precursor of the (alpha 2-->8)-linked polysialic acid capsule of serogroup B meningococci.

CONTEXT In 1993, Oregon's incidence of serogroup B meningococcal disease began to rise because of a highly clonal group of strains designated enzyme type 5 (ET-5), the first such increase observed in the United States. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact that the ET-5 strain has had on the epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Oregon. DESIGN AND SETTING Epidemiologic analysis of surveillanc...

BACKGROUND To understand epidemiologic patterns of meningococcal disease in Asia, we performed a retrospective molecular analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens collected in prospective surveillance among children aged < 5 years of age in China, South Korea, and Vietnam. METHODS A total of 295 isolates and 2,302 CSFs were tested by a meningococcal species- and serogroup-specific polym...