Comparative genomic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis cc11 strains from Chile and worldwide using whole-genome sequencing

Hypervirulent strains of Neisseria meningitidis have the potential to trigger outbreaks, hyperendemic, and epidemic scenarios of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). Strains with clonal complex 11 (cc11) had been considered historically hypervirulent. Aim: To perform a comparative genomic analysis of Chilean Neisseria meningitidis cc11 isolates and global strains using whole-genome sequencing data from a public PubMLST platform. A cgMLST comparative analysis was performed using the PubMLST Genome Comparator tool of 1070 genomes (included 55 from Chile) from different periods between 1964 and 2021 were evaluated, corresponding to MenB (3.7%), MenC (36.1%), MenW (59.1%), and MenY (1.1%). The cc11 were divided in two lineages 11.1 and 11.2. Lineage 11.1 exhibited five main sublineages, with a predominance of MenW strains, followed by MenY. Lineage 11.2 exhibited four main sublineages, with serogroups B and C. Additionally, MenY strains were identified in lineage 11.1. Chilean strains were found in South America/UK sublineage and formed a cluster with Argentina and the USA strains. When comparing MenY strains with Chilean strains we observed a high homology was observed in virulence genes (pili, msrA/B, ctrE, ctrF, katA) and variation in ftsK and PBP2 genes. Difference in finetyping were found for sublineage of Hajj strains W:P1.5,2:F1-1:cc11:BAST-898; South America/UK W:P1.5,1:F1-1:cc11:BAST-2 and Chinese strains W:P1.5,2:F1-1:cc11:BAST-6. Our study aimed to elucidate the genomic landscape of N. meningitidis cc11, revealing diverse sublineages and serogroup dynamics. The emergence of MenY strains in South America/UK sublineage, underscores the relevance of ongoing surveillance to inform public health strategies against IMD.