SERO SUBTYPING OF NEISSERIA-MENINGITIDIS ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS IN SPAIN/

To know the types of meningococcal strains in Spain, we serotyped and subtyped 743. Neisseria meningitidis isolates recovered between 1990 a nd 1992 from patients. A great number of serogroup B, serogroup C and non-groupable meningoccoci reacted with the serotyping reagents while many serogroup C and non-groupable isolates did not react with the ser osubtyping reagents (78.2% and 54.8% respectively); only 8.9% of serog roup B meningococci were non-subtypeable (NST). Distribution of seroty pes was similar in serogroup C and in non-groupable strains. Isolates showed great variability in antigenic phenotypes (71 in serogroup B, 2 0 in serogroup C and 25 in non-groupable meningococci). The most frequ ent antigenic combinations were 4:P1.15 (39.8%) in serogroup B, 2b:NST (55.8%) in serogroup C and 2b:NST (35.6%) in non-groupable meningococ ci.