Antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria spp. in parents and their children in Belgium: a cross-sectional survey

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 371
• Main Authors: Abdellati, Saïd, Gestels, Zina, Laumen, Jolein Gyonne Elise, Van Dijck, Christophe, De Baetselier, Irith, de Block, Tessa, Van den Bossche, Dorien, Vanbaelen, Thibaut, Kanesaka, Izumo, Manoharan-Basil, Sheeba Santhini, Kenyon, Chris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 09.01.2024
• Subjects: Belgium; oropharynx; commensals; intrafamilial transmission; horizontal gene transfer; intra-familial transmission; Neisseria
• ISSN: 1574-6968; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnae069

Abstract Background: commensal Neisseria species are part of the oropharyngeal microbiome and play an important role in nitrate reduction and protecting against colonization by pathogenic bacteria. They do, however, also serve as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance. Little is known about the prevalence of these species in the general population, how this varies by age and how antimicrobial susceptibility varies between species. Methods: we assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria species in the parents (n = 38) and children (n = 50) of 35 families in Belgium. Results: various commensal Neisseria (n = 5) could be isolated from the participants. Most abundant were N. subflava and N. mucosa. Neisseria subflava was detected in 77 of 88 (87.5%) individuals and N. mucosa in 64 of 88 (72.7%). Neisseria mucosa was more prevalent in children [41/50 (82%)] than parents [23/38 (60.5%); P < .05], while N. bacilliformis was more prevalent in parents [7/36 (19.4%)] than children [2/50 (4%); P < .05]. Neisseria bacilliformis had high ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs; median MIC 0.5 mg/l; IQR 0.38–0.75). The ceftriaxone MICs of all Neisseria isolates were higher in the parents than in the children. This could be explained by a higher prevalence of N. bacilliformis in the parents. Interpretation: the N. bacilliformis isolates had uniformly high ceftriaxone MICs which warrant further investigation. In this survey in Belgium we found that the prevalence of Neisseria bacilliformis was higher in adults than children and had remarkably reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone.