Tracking a serial killer: Integrating phylogenetic relationships, epidemiology, and geography for two invasive meningococcal disease outbreaks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While overall rates of meningococcal disease have been declining in the United States for the past several decades, New York City (NYC) has experienced two serogroup C meningococcal disease outbreaks in 2005-2006 and in 2010-2013. The outbreaks were centered within drug use and sexual networks, were difficult to control, and required vaccine campaigns.

Methods

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was used to analyze preserved meningococcal isolates collected before and during the two outbreaks. We integrated and analyzed epidemiologic, geographic, and genomic data to better understand transmission networks among patients. Betweenness centrality was used as a metric to understand the most important geographic nodes in the transmission networks. Comparative genomics was us

SUBMITTER: Ezeoke I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6261407 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature