Title
Emergence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis B from asymptomatic carriers during an outbreak in Peru, 2017
Date Issued
01 January 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Juscamayta-López E.
Valdivia F.
Morales S.
Oré M.
Publisher(s)
Microbiology Society
Abstract
Asymptomatic carriers are a likely source of transmission of Neisseria meningitidis to close contacts who are placed at a higher risk for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). Although N. meningitidis ciprofloxacin-resistance is rare, there have been an increase in the reports of resistant isolates mainly in patients diagnosed with IMD, and little is known about the N. meningitidis ciprofloxacin-resistance in the carrier populations. We performed a pharyngeal carriage study during a 2017 military setting outbreak in Peru, caused by a ciprofloxacin-resistant N. meningitidis B. The isolates analysed came from two hospitalized cases and six asymptomatic carriers. Whole-genome sequence-based analysis was performed and showed that strains carrying the Thr91Ile mutation, in the gene encoding for subunit A of DNA gyrase (gyrA), were responsible for the fluoroquinolone resistance (MICs ≥0.256 µg ml−1) and were closely related to highly virulent strains from France, Norway and the UK. Phylogenetic analysis of the gyrA gene revealed that likely these Peruvian isolates acquired resistance through horizontal gene transfer from Neisseria lactamica. Our study provides evidence for the emergence and propagation of ciprofloxacin-resistant N. meningitidis B from asymptomatic carriers, and recommends the introduction of serogroup B vaccines for high-risk populations.
Volume
70
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología celular, Microbiología
Farmacología, Farmacia
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85101116350
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Medical Microbiology
ISSN of the container
00222615
Sponsor(s)
The National Institute of Health, Lima-Peru, has supported this study. The authors would like to thank Dr Hatim Sati for his critical review of this manuscript. In addition, we are grateful to members of Respiratory Infectious Diseases Laboratory, especially to Hellen Horna for her contribution to this study.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus