Antimicrobial Susceptibility Survey of Invasive Neisseria meningitidis, United States 2012–2016

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 225; no. 11; pp. 1871 - 1875
• Main Authors: Potts, Caelin C, Rodriguez-Rivera, Lorraine D, Retchless, Adam C, Hu, Fang, Marjuki, Henju, Blain, Amy E, McNamara, Lucy A, Wang, Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.06.2022
• Subjects: Ampicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Azithromycin; Bacterial infections; Cefotaxime; Ceftriaxone; Ceftriaxone - pharmacology; Ciprofloxacin; Ciprofloxacin - pharmacology; Drug resistance; Epidemiology; Genomes; Gram-negative bacteria; Humans; Invasive meningococcal disease; Levofloxacin; Meningitis; Meningococcal disease; Meningococcal Infections - epidemiology; Meropenem; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Minocycline; Neisseria meningitidis - genetics; PenA protein; Penicillin; Penicillins; Public health; Rifampin; United States - epidemiology; Whole genome sequencing; United States; United States > US; penicillin; antimicrobial susceptibility; invasive meningococcal disease; antibiotic resistance; ciprofloxacin; Neisseria meningitidis; penA
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac046

Abstract Background Historically, antimicrobial resistance has been rare in US invasive meningococcal disease cases. Methods Meningococcal isolates (n = 695) were collected through population-based surveillance, 2012–2016, and national surveillance, 2015–2016. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by broth microdilution. Resistance mechanisms were characterized using whole-genome sequencing. Results All isolates were susceptible to 6 antibiotics (cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, meropenem, rifampin, minocycline, and azithromycin). Approximately 25% were penicillin or ampicillin intermediate; among these, 79% contained mosaic penA gene mutations. Less than 1% of isolates were penicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, or levofloxacin resistant. Conclusions Penicillin- and ampicillin-intermediate isolates were common, but resistance to clinically relevant antibiotics remained rare. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 695 US meningococcal isolates, collected 2012–2016, demonstrated that penicillin- and ampicillin-intermediate isolates were common; resistance to clinically relevant antibiotics remained rare.