TY - JOUR AU - Alcalá, Belén AU - Arreaza, Luisa AU - Salcedo, Celia AU - Uría, María J. AU - De La Fuente, Laura AU - Vázquez, Julio A. T1 - Capsule Switching among C:2b:P1.2,5 Meningococcal Epidemic Strains after Mass Immunization Campaign, Spain T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2002 VL - 8 IS - 12 SP - 1512 SN - 1080-6059 AB - A mass immunization campaign for 18-month to 19-year-olds was undertaken in Spain in 1996–1997 because of an epidemic of serogroup C meningococcal disease associated with a C:2b:P1.2,5 strain belonging to the A4 lineage. Surveillance for the “capsule-switching” phenomenon producing B:2b:P1.2,5 isolates was undertaken. Of 2,975 meningococci characterized, B:2b:P1.2,5 and B:2b:P1.2 antigenic combinations were found in 18 isolates; 15 meningococci were defined as serogroup B belonging to the A4 lineage. KW - Capsular switching KW - meningococcal strains KW - immunization campaign KW - Spain DO - 10.3201/eid0812.020081 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/8/12/02-0081_article ER - End of Reference