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First report of capsule replacement among electrophoretic type 37 Neisseria meningitidis strains in Italy.

Abstract

This report describes the C-to-B capsular switching in four Neisseria meningitidis strains belonging to the electrophoretic type 37 (ET-37) complex. In particular, one strain belonged to the new sequence type 1860, which was first detected in the year 2000 in Italy and is now frequently isolated. The presence of switched serogroup B strains deserves special attention if they prove as able to spread as their serogroup C progenitors belonging to the hypervirulent ET-37 complex.

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Paola Stefanelli, Cecilia Fazio, Arianna Neri, Tonino Sofia, Paola Mastrantonio. 2003. First report of capsule replacement among electrophoretic type 37 Neisseria meningitidis strains in Italy.. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.41.12.5783-5786.2003

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