Day 6: Invasive meningicoccal disease, Vaccines for N. meningitidis and Biofilms, antimicrobials resistance Flashcards
HC 14, 15, 16
HC14: Character N. meningitidis
- Gram-negative diplococcus
- Natural habitat: human nasopharynx
- At 5-30% it is culturable from population > not pathogenic > carriers
Carriage N. menigitidis is associated with age: peak at ..
Around 19 y/o: asymptomatic carriage
Peak of carriage N. meningitidis at age because
Behaviour, not age (19)
> crowds, kissing, bar/disco, active and passive smoking
> risk factors are strongly and independently linked to risk for meningococcal carriage
> whole relationship with age is gone when adjusted for behaviour.
Changes is risk factors N. meningitidis over years
- Less smoking
- Less crowding
- Carriage decreased among teenagers
In 0.01% of Nm carriers: invasive pathogenesis and disease:
Septicemia (blood disease) and meningitis (meninges inflammation)
Invasion Nm
From nasopharyngeal cavity across epithelium to blood
> septicemia or even further to reach cerebrospinal fluid: meningitis
Meningococcemia
Meningococci in bloodstream
> sepsis
> petechial rash: round spots in skin from bleeding: cannot be pushed away: problematic stage
> Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC): abnormal blood clotting
» ischemic tissue damage, purpura fulmicans, too little blood to extremeties: dies off, amputations
> meningitis
High morbidity rate in IMD (invasive meningococcal disease), why>
Residual damage after cured
> limb loss
> cognitive deficits
> hearing loss
> seizure disorders
Is there vaccination for Nm?
Yes, in national program
Spread from adolescents peak incidence Nm to risk groups:
Eldery and infants
Effect COVID-19 on Nm incidence
Decreased > more distance held
Surveillance Nm disease in Netherlands
- Mandatory notification
- Laboratory surveillance
> look at characteristics of disease and monitor it
> isolates from blood or CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)
> Antibiotics given to patients immediately
> negative CSF culture > Molecular methods like PCR
Is there a link between the notifications of Meningococcal disease and laboratory data?
Yes, all linked and mandatory
> coverage >90%
Serogroups Nm
Based on chemical composition of polysaccharide capsule
> protects against effects immune system
> 13 serogroups
> A, B, C, X, Y and W cause >95% of IMD
> in Europe: B and C most prevalent
Typing methods Nm
- Phenotype
> serogroup, PorA epitope sequencing, FetA epitope sequencing - Genotype
- Multi locus sequence typing using MLST
PorA
Protein in gram negatives like Neisseria meningitidis
> on outer membrane: porine A protein
» transport nutrients, transmembrane protein
> two variable loops in PorA: VR1 and VR2
» mutates constantly to hide from immune system with different epitope
» use foward and reverse primers for both VR1/2 to deteminate them
» into public database
FetA
Outer membrane protein of Nm
> one variable epitope: VR (variable region)
> beta barrel in membrane, VR loop sticks out
Typing of Nm isolates: annotation
Nm: B: P1.7,4:F5-1
> Nm: Neisseria meningitidis
> B: serogroup
> P1 (PorA) 7,4 > VR1 type 7, VR2 type 4
> F5-1 > ForA type 5-1
Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST)
- Sequence seven loci
> housekeeping genes: essential genes for viability and are present in all strains because essential
> number assigned for each allele
> combination of allele numbers > sequence type (ST) > a number like ST81
When different ST
When one of the housekeeping genes has a different allele
Single Locus Variant (SLV): example stain 2 of strain 1
Differs only one of the alleles from strain 1 (original)
Clonal complexes (CCs)
Any ST that matches the central genotype at 4 or more loci considered in the MLST.
Visualize the relatedness in MLST
BURST algorithm
> Circle is the CC, around the dots, the STs
> everything within the circle is from the CC
In the BURST pictures of MLST database, there are (within CCs) big dots with a flower like circle around it. What is it.
A central genotype (ST) with SLVs (single locus variants) around it.