Loss of Genomic Diversity in a Neisseria meningitidis Clone Through a Colonization Bottleneck.

ABSTRACT: Neisseria meningitidis is the leading cause of epidemic meningitis in the "meningitis belt" of Africa, where clonal waves of colonization and disease are observed. Point mutations and horizontal gene exchange lead to constant diversification of meningococcal populations during clonal spread. Maintaining a high genomic diversity may be an evolutionary strategy of meningococci that increases chances of fixing occasionally new highly successful "fit genotypes". We have performed a longitudinal study of meningococcal carriage and disease in northern Ghana by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples from all suspected meningitis cases and monitoring carriage of meningococci by twice yearly colonization surveys. In the framework of this study, we observed complete replacement of an A: sequence type

SUBMITTER: Lamelas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6110524 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature