Antibiotic Sensitivity of <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i> Isolated From Patients with Generalized Forms of Meningococcal Infection and From Healthy Carriers

Abstract

The study included 50 isolates of Neisseria meningitidis isolated from patients with generalized forms of meningococcal infection and 48 isolates, which were isolated from carriers. The isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry using a Microflex LT mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Germany). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol were assessed by the method of serial agar dilution with interpretation of the results according to EUCAST 2021 criteria. Clinical resistance to penicillin was detected in 7% of isolates. However, all isolates with MIC >0.064 µg/ml (n=26) had mutations in the penA gene. Decreased sensitivity to rifampicin was found in four isolates isolated from patients and four isolated from carriers. Seven out of eight isolates with reduced sensitivity to rifampicin had mutations in the rpoB gene. Resistance to ceftriaxone, meropenem, ciprofloxacin was not detected.

Keywords

• neisseria meningitidis
• meningococcal infection
• antibiotic sensitivity