This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ala'Aldeen, D. A. A.
Right arrow Articles by Slack, R. C. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ala'Aldeen, D. A. A.
Right arrow Articles by Slack, R. C. B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2311-2316, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of Meningococcal Long-Term Carriage among University Students and Their Implications for Mass Vaccination

D. A. A. Ala'Aldeen,1,* K. R. Neal,2 K. Ait-Tahar,1 J. S. Nguyen-Van-Tam,2 A. English,3 T. J. Falla,3 P. M. Hawkey,3 and R. C. B. Slack1

Meningococcal Research Group, Divisions of Microbiology1 and Public Health,2 University Hospital, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2UH, and Department of Microbiology, Leeds University, Leeds,3 United Kingdom

Received 9 December 1999/Returned for modification 22 February 2000/Accepted 5 April 2000

In the 1997-98 academic year, we conducted a longitudinal study of meningococcal carriage and acquisition among first-year students at Nottingham University, Nottingham, United Kingdom. We examined the dynamics of long-term meningococcal carriage with detailed characterization of the isolates. Pharyngeal swabs were obtained from 2,453 first-year students at the start of the academic year (October), later on during the autumn term, and again in March. Swabs were immediately cultured on selective media, and meningococci were identified and serologically characterized. Nongroupable strains were genetically grouped using a PCR-based assay. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to determine the link between sequential isolates. Of the carriers initially identified in October, 44.1% (98 of 222) were still positive later on in the autumn (November or December); 57.1% of these remained persistent carriers at 6 months. Of the index carriers who lost carriage during the autumn, 16% were recolonized at 6 months. Of 344 index noncarriers followed up, 22.1% acquired carriage during the autumn term and another 13.7% acquired carriage by March. Overall, 43.9% (397 of 904) of the isolates were noncapsulated (serologically nongroupable); by PCR-based genogrouping, a quarter of these belonged to the capsular groups B and C. The ratio of capsulated to noncapsulated forms for group B and C strains was 2.9 and 0.95, respectively. Sequential isolates of persistent carriers revealed that individuals may carry the same or entirely different organisms at different times. We identified three strains that clearly switched their capsular expression on and off at different times in vivo. One student developed invasive meningococcal disease after carrying the same organism for over 7 weeks. The study revealed a high rate of turnover of meningococcal carriage among students. Noncapsulated organisms are capable of switching their capsular expression on and off (both ways) in the nasopharynx, and group C strains are more likely to be noncapsulated than group B strains. Carriage of a particular meningococcal strain does not necessarily protect against colonization or invasion by a homologous or heterologous strain.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Meningococcal Research Group, Division of Microbiology, University Hospital, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 115 924 9924, ext. 44952. Fax: 44 115 970 9233. E-mail: daa{at}nottingham.ac.uk.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2311-2316, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Gorringe, A. R., Taylor, S., Brookes, C., Matheson, M., Finney, M., Kerr, M., Hudson, M., Findlow, J., Borrow, R., Andrews, N., Kafatos, G., Evans, C. M., Read, R. C. (2009). Phase I Safety and Immunogenicity Study of a Candidate Meningococcal Disease Vaccine Based on Neisseria lactamica Outer Membrane Vesicles. CVI 16: 1113-1120 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • O'Dwyer, C. A., Li, M.-S., Langford, P. R., Kroll, J. S. (2009). Meningococcal biofilm growth on an abiotic surface - a model for epithelial colonization?. Microbiology 155: 1940-1952 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bayliss, C. D., Hoe, J. C., Makepeace, K., Martin, P., Hood, D. W., Moxon, E. R. (2008). Neisseria meningitidis Escape from the Bactericidal Activity of a Monoclonal Antibody Is Mediated by Phase Variation of lgtG and Enhanced by a Mutator Phenotype. Infect. Immun. 76: 5038-5048 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kelly, D. F., Pollard, A. J., Moxon, E. R. (2005). Immunological Memory: The Role of B Cells in Long-term Protection Against Invasive Bacterial Pathogens. JAMA 294: 3019-3023 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jordens, J. Z., Williams, J. N., Jones, G. R., Christodoulides, M., Heckels, J. E. (2004). Development of Immunity to Serogroup B Meningococci during Carriage of Neisseria meningitidis in a Cohort of University Students. Infect. Immun. 72: 6503-6510 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Yazdankhah, S. P., Caugant, D. A. (2004). Neisseria meningitidis: an overview of the carriage state. J Med Microbiol 53: 821-832 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Comanducci, M., Bambini, S., Caugant, D. A., Mora, M., Brunelli, B., Capecchi, B., Ciucchi, L., Rappuoli, R., Pizza, M. (2004). NadA Diversity and Carriage in Neisseria meningitidis. Infect. Immun. 72: 4217-4223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bennett, D. E., Mulhall, R. M., Cafferkey, M. T. (2004). PCR-Based Assay for Detection of Neisseria meningitidis Capsular Serogroups 29E, X, and Z. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 1764-1765 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Harrison, O. B., Robertson, B. D., Faust, S. N., Jepson, M. A., Goldin, R. D., Levin, M., Heyderman, R. S. (2002). Analysis of Pathogen-Host Cell Interactions in Purpura Fulminans: Expression of Capsule, Type IV Pili, and PorA by Neisseria meningitidis In Vivo. Infect. Immun. 70: 5193-5201 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Robinson, K., Neal, K. R., Howard, C., Stockton, J., Atkinson, K., Scarth, E., Moran, J., Robins, A., Todd, I., Kaczmarski, E., Gray, S., Muscat, I., Slack, R., Ala'Aldeen, D. A. A. (2002). Characterization of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses Elicited by Meningococcal Carriage. Infect. Immun. 70: 1301-1309 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jordens, J. Z., Williams, J. N., Jones, G. R., Heckels, J. E. (2002). Detection of Meningococcal Carriage by Culture and PCR of Throat Swabs and Mouth Gargles. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 75-79 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»