Characterization of the oatC gene of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C from 1991 to 2019

Introduction: Meningococcal disease (MD) is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, an exclusively human pathogen classified into different serogroups, with A, B, C, Y, W and X being the most associated with epidemic outbreaks around the world. Features such as a rapid progression of the disease combined with a high lethality rate, ranging from 7% to 70% of untreated cases, associated with physical or neurological sequelae after treatment, in up to 20% of cases, demonstrates the importance of the surveillance, prophylaxis and treatment methods for this disease. It is estimated that in Brazil, an endemic region, MD is responsible for a lethality of 21.9%. Currently there are vaccines against different serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis, however, studies indicate that a vaccine developed from de-Oacetylated (oatC-) strains against serogroup C confer IgG levels twice higher and a bactericidal effect more pronounced than vaccines produced from O-acetylated lineages (oatC+).