Sotheran, Emily

Lane, Courtney R

Horan, Kristy

Stevens, Kerrie

Guglielmino, Christine

Bradbury, Susan

Kennedy, Karina

Cooley, Louise

McEwan, Belinda

Kahler, Charlene M

Mowlaboccus, Shakeel

Speers, David J

Baird, Robert

Freeman, Kevin

Leong, Lex

Warner, Morgyn

Williamson, Deborah A

McVernon, Jodie

Lahra, Monica

Jennison, Amy V

Howden, Benjamin P

Andersson, Patiyan

2024-05-02

In Australia, invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) incidence rapidly increased between 2014 and 2017 due to rising serogroup W (MenW) and MenY infections. We aimed to better understand the genetic diversity of IMD during 2017 and 2018 using whole genome sequencing data.Whole genome sequencing data from 440 Australian IMD isolates collected during 2017 and 2018 and 1737 international MenW:CC11 isolates collected in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America between 1974 and 2020 were used in phylogenetic analyses; genetic relatedness was determined from single-nucleotide polymorphisms.Australian isolates were as follows: 181 MenW (41%), 144 MenB (33%), 88 MenY (20%), 16 MenC (4%), 1 MenW/Y (0.2%), and 10 nongenogroupable (2%). Eighteen clonal complexes (CCs) were identified, and 3 (CC11, CC23, CC41/44) accounted for 78% of isolates (343/440). These CCs were associated with specific serogroups: CC11 (n = 199) predominated among MenW (n = 181) and MenC (n = 15), CC23 (n = 80) among MenY (n = 78), and CC41/44 (n = 64) among MenB (n = 64). MenB isolates were highly diverse, MenY were intermediately diverse, and MenW and MenC isolates demonstrated the least genetic diversity. Thirty serogroup and CC-specific genomic clusters were identified. International CC11 comparison revealed diversification of MenW in Australia.Whole genome sequencing comprehensively characterized Australian IMD isolates, indexed their genetic variability, provided increased within-CC resolution, and elucidated the evolution of CC11 in Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, Australia.

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canberra Health Services, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia.

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canberra Health Services, Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmanian School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Australia.

Royal Darwin Hospital Pathology, Darwin, Australia.

Royal Darwin Hospital Pathology, Darwin, Australia.

SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia.

SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia.

Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Infectious Diseases at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Infectious Diseases at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

New South Wales Health Pathology, Microbiology Randwick, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Open Forum Infect Dis . 2024 May 2;11(6):ofae249. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae249. eCollection 2024 Jun.

2328-8957

0000-0003-2006-5277

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38854393/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/13401

Neisseria meningitidis

genomic epidemiology

meningococcal disease

pathogen genomics

public health

Genomic Surveillance of Invasive Meningococcal Disease During a National MenW Outbreak in Australia, 2017-2018.

Journal Article

Publication