Variable-number tandem repeat analysis of meningococcal isolates belonging to the sequence type 162 complex

Siamak P Yazdankhah; Konstantinos Kesanopoulos; Georgina Tzanakaki; Jenny Kremastinou; Dominique A Caugant

doi:10.1128/JCM.43.9.4865-4867.2005

Variable-number tandem repeat analysis of meningococcal isolates belonging to the sequence type 162 complex

J Clin Microbiol. 2005 Sep;43(9):4865-7. doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.9.4865-4867.2005.

Authors

Siamak P Yazdankhah¹, Konstantinos Kesanopoulos, Georgina Tzanakaki, Jenny Kremastinou, Dominique A Caugant

Affiliation

¹ Department of Airborne Infections, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway. siya@fhi.no

Abstract

Thirty-one meningococcal isolates from carriers and disease cases belonging to the sequence type (ST) 162 complex, isolated in Greece in 1999 and 2000, were studied by the use of variable-number tandem repeat analysis. Our study demonstrated that the isolates belonging to the ST-162 clonal complex were a heterogeneous group. Based on this heterogeneity, it is unlikely that the disease-associated isolates represent an outbreak.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Bacterial Typing Techniques*
Carrier State / epidemiology
Carrier State / microbiology*
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Outbreaks
Greece / epidemiology
Humans
Infant
Meningococcal Infections / epidemiology
Meningococcal Infections / microbiology*
Minisatellite Repeats / genetics*
Neisseria meningitidis / classification*
Neisseria meningitidis / genetics
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Polymorphism, Genetic
Serotyping