Genetically distinct Hajj and South American-related strains of serogroup W Neisseria meningitidis causing invasive meningococcal disease in Ontario, Canada, January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2024

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2025.102728

Language of the publication
English
Date
2025-05
Type
Article
Author(s)
  • Meilleur, Courtney
  • Kus, Julianne
  • Navarro, Christine
  • Dubey, Vinita
  • Lucidarme, Jay
  • Borrow, Ray
  • Tsang, Raymond S.W.
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

Abstract

Objectives
To characterize the recent trends in serogroup W isolates from invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases (MenW) in Ontario, Canada since 2015.

Methods
IMD case isolates in Ontario between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2024 were examined by phenotypic and genetic methods for possession of vaccine antigen genes and clonal characteristics. MenW ST-11 clonal complex (CC) strains were compared against global MenW isolates by core-genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST).

Results
The percentage of culture-confirmed IMD caused by MenW in Ontario increased from 10 % in 2015–40.9 % in the first half of 2024, consisting entirely of strains belonging to the ST-11 CC. cgMLST comparison of the Ontario invasive MenW isolates versus international MenW ST-11CC strains showed that the Ontario isolates were related to those found globally, with a recent cluster of eight cases from one city due to a strain highly related to international Umrah outbreak strains. Most MenW IMD cases (60 %) occurred in individuals older than 40 years of age and the majority (83.3 %) predicted to express antigens covered by the 4CMenB vaccine.

Conclusions
Multiple different introductions of international MenW strains likely accounted for the recent shift towards invasive MenW disease in Ontario.

Plain language summary

This study examines culture-confirmed invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Ontario, Canada from the period of January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2024. The percentage of IMD due to serogroup W (MenW) increased from 10% in 2015 to 40.9% in the first half of 2024; and most of the invasive MenW was due to a clone named Sequence Type (ST)-11 clonal complex (CC). Comparing the Ontario MenW of ST-11 CC with international MenW of the same CC by core-genome multi-locus sequence typing found that the Ontario isolates were related to those found globally. In addition, a recent cluster of eight MenW IMD cases from one city in Ontario were due to a strain highly related to the international Umrah outbreak strains described in 2024. Multiple different introductions of international MenW strains likely accounted for the recent shift towards invasive MenW disease in Ontario, Canada.

Subject

  • Health,
  • Epidemiology

Rights

Pagination

1-8

Peer review

Yes

Open access level

Gold

Identifiers

PubMed ID
40056891
ISSN
1876-0341

Article

Journal title
Journal of Infection and Public Health
Journal volume
18
Journal issue
5
Article number
102728

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Public health surveillance

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