Investigation and response to an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y ST-1466 urogenital infections, Australia

Authors

  • MM Lahra World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for STI and AMR, New South Wales Health Pathology Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • NH Latham Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia; New South Wales Public Health Training Program, New South Wales Ministry of Health, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • DJ Templeton 5. Sexual Health Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
  • P Read South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
  • C Carmody South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
  • N Ryder Centre for Population Health NSW Health, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • SE Ellis Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • EF Madden Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • A Parasuraman Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • J Wells Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • V Sheppeard Sexual Health Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
  • BH Armstrong Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, New South Wales, Australia
  • J Holland Laverty Pathology, New South Wales, Australia
  • S Pendle Australian Clinical Laboratories, New South Wales, Australia
  • N Sherry Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Melbourne at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • L Leong Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  • L Papanicolas SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  • CE Selvey Health Protection NSW, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
  • SJ Van Hal New South Wales Health Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2024.48.20

Keywords:

Neisseria meningitidis, urogenital infection, MenY ST-1466

Abstract

In 2023, an increased number of urogenital and anorectal infections with Neisseria meningitis serogroup Y (MenY) were reported in New South Wales (NSW). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) found a common sequence type (ST-1466), with limited sequence diversity. Confirmed outbreak cases were NSW residents with a N. meningitidis isolate matching the cluster sequence type; probable cases were NSW residents with MenY isolated from a urogenital or anorectal site from 1 July 2023 without WGS testing. Of the 41 cases, most were men (n = 27), of whom six reported recent contact with women in sex work. Five cases were men who have sex with men and two were women in sex work. Laboratory alerts regarding the outbreak were sent to all Australian jurisdictions through the laboratories in the National Neisseria Network. Two additional states identified urogenital MenY ST-1466 infections detected in late 2023. Genomic analysis showed all MenY ST-1466 sequences were interspersed, indicative of a multi-jurisdictional outbreak. The incidence of these infections remains unknown, due to varied testing and reporting practices both within and across jurisdictions. Isolates causing invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Australia are typed, and there has been no MenY ST-1466 IMD recorded in Australia to end of March 2024.  Concerns remain regarding the risk of IMD, given the similarity of these sequences with a MenY ST-1466 IMD strain causing a concurrent outbreak in the United States of America.

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Published

10/04/24

How to Cite

Lahra, MM, NH Latham, DJ Templeton, P Read, C Carmody, N Ryder, SE Ellis, et al. 2024. “Investigation and Response to an Outbreak of Neisseria Meningitidis Serogroup Y ST-1466 Urogenital Infections, Australia”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 48 (April). https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2024.48.20.

Issue

Vol. 48 (2024)

Section

Outbreak report

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