Genotypic comparison of invasive Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y isolates from the United States, South Africa, and Israel, isolated from 1999 through 2002

The proportion of meningococcal disease in the United States, South Africa, and Israel caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y (NmY) was greater than the worldwide average during the period 1999-2002. Genotypic characterization of 300 NmY isolates by multilocus sequence typing, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and PorA variable region typing was conducted to determine the relationships of the isolates from these three countries. Seventy different genotypes were found. Two groups of ST-23 clonal complex isolates accounted for 88% of the U.S. isolates, 12% of the South African isolates, and 96% of the isolates from Israel. The single common clone (ST-23/16S-19/P1.5-2,10-1) represented 57, 5, and 35% of the NmY isolates from the United States, South Africa, and Israel. The predominant clone in South Africa (ST-175/16S-21/P1.5-1,2-2), and 11 other closely related clones made up 77% of the South African study isolates and were not found among the isolates from the United States or Israel. ST-175 was the predicted founder of the ST-175 clonal complex, and isolates of ST-175 and related sequence types have been described previously in other African countries. Continued active surveillance and genetic characterization of NmY isolates causing disease in the United States, South Africa, and Israel will provide valuable data for local and global epidemiology and allow monitoring for any expansion of existing clonal complexes and detection of the emergence of new virulent clones in the population.