RAQUEL ABAD Early evidence of expanding W ST-11 CC meningococcal incidence in Spain.EMBARGADO 011020 POSTPRINT

Abstract

Dear Editor,Lucidarme and colleagues, in this Journal, recentlydescribed the genomic resolution of an expanding lineageof Neisseria meningitidis.1Since 2000, when an outbreak associated with the Hajjwhich presented an international extension took place,2anumber of epidemics,3outbreaks4and increases in inci-dence rates5e7have been described for ST-11 CC serogroupW meningococcal strains. A recent analysis of W strainsbelonging to the ST-11 CC isolated around many differentgeographical areas across the world using Whole GenomeSequence (WGS)1shows that there are at least 2 different ineages: one represented by strains associated with theHajj 2000 outbreak, including strains spreading in South Af-rica, and a second line that has been recently spreading inthe South Cone (Latin America) and in England.