Circumvention of Herd Immunity during an Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease Could Be Correlated to Escape Mutation in the <i>porA</i> Gene of <i>Neisseria meningitidis</i>

Abstract

Meningococcal strains isolated during an outbreak were shown to belong to the ET-5 complex and to harbor a mutation in the VR2 region of the porA gene. They were less susceptible to the bactericidal effect of normal human serum than was the ET-5 wild-type strain. These results are of concern, as PorA is a potential target in vaccine design.