Molecular epidemiology of recent United Kingdom isolates ofNeisseria meningitidisserogroup C

Abstract

SUMMARYThe genomes of 34 recent United Kingdom isolates ofNeisseria meningitidisserogroup C were examined by restriction enzyme digestion and by conventional and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Strains were assigned to groups on the basis of the Dice similarity coefficient; strains with values of >92% were considered to be clonally related. Twelve clones were identified by PFGE. Strains of two clonal groups predominated. Restriction endonuclease analyses using the ‘high frequency cleavage’ endonucleaseStuI and conventional electrophoresis gave 11 groups; in general it had lower resolving power than PFGE.