First case of Neisseria meningitidis capsule null locus infection in China

Infect Dis (Lond). 2015 Aug;47(8):591-2. doi: 10.3109/00365548.2015.1010228. Epub 2015 Mar 2.

Abstract

Invasive meningococcal diseases are rarely caused by capsule null locus (cnl) strains, which are unencapsulated owing to an absence of capsule synthesis genes. Only a few cases of cnl meningococcemia in severely immunocompromised patients have been reported. Here, we describe and discuss the first case of invasive disease in an immunocompetent patient due to a cnl strain of Neisseria meningitidis in China. We characterize this strain and discuss the special ST-198 complex of cnl.

Keywords: Capsule; Neisseria meningitidis; ST-198 complex; cnl; non-groupable.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Capsules / genetics*
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Child
  • China
  • Female
  • Genetic Loci
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence
  • Meningococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Meningococcal Infections / immunology
  • Meningococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / classification
  • Neisseria meningitidis / genetics*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / isolation & purification*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / pathogenicity
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA