[Typing and sensitivity of meningococci isolated in Switzerland 1988-1990].

Since 1906 severe infections due to Neisseria meningitidis have been reported in Switzerland. The clinical application of antimicrobial agents reduced the mortality rate due to meningococcal infections from 82% before 1939 to 22% after 1942. However, the annual incidence remained at about 1.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. During the years 1988 to 1990, 177 strains isolated in Switzerland have been typed with a dot ELISA using 15 different monoclonal antibodies. The distribution of serogroups was as follows: A (0.6%), B (70.6%), C (22.6%), and W135 (0.6%), while 5.6% could not be assigned to a serogroup. The most common associations of serogroup, serotype and subtype were: B:15:P1.16 (15.3%), B:4:P1.15 (13.6%), and C:2a:P1.2 (9.0%). The susceptibility of 174 strains was determined by an agar-dilution procedure. All strains were susceptible to cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, minocycline and spiramycin. One strain showed reduced sensitivity to penicillin (MIC = 0.25 mg/l), while another strain was resistant to rifampicin, 3% were resistant of erythromycin and 75% to sulfadiazine.