@article{DrayssClausHubertetal.2019,
  author    = {Drayß, Maria and Claus, Heike and Hubert, Kerstin and Thiel, Katrin and Berger, Anja and Sing, Andreas and van der Linden, Mark and Vogel, Ulrich and L{\^a}m, Thi{\^e}n-Tr{\´i}},
  title     = {Asymptomatic carriage of Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Group A Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus among adults aged 65 years and older},
  series = {PLoS ONE},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {PLoS ONE},
  number    = {2},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0212052},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201042},
  pages     = {e0212052},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Objective The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, group A Streptococcus (GAS), and Staphylococcus aureus in asymptomatic elderly people and to unravel risk factors leading to colonization. Methods A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted including 677 asymptomatic adults aged 65 years or more, living at home or in nursing homes. Study areas were Greater Aachen (North-Rhine-Westphalia) and Wuerzburg (Bavaria), both regions with medium to high population density. Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs as well as questionnaires were collected from October 2012 to May 2013. Statistical analysis included multiple logistic regression models. Results The carriage rate was 1.9\% ([95\%CI: 1.0-3.3\%]; 13/677) for H. influenzae, 0.3\% ([95\%CI: 0-1.1\%]; 2/677) for N. meningitidis and 0\% ([95\% CI: 0-0.5\%]; 0/677) for S. pneumoniae and GAS. Staphylococcus aureus was harboured by 28.5\% of the individuals ([95\% CI: 25.1-32.1\%]; 193/677) and 0.7\% ([95\% CI: 0.2-1.7\%]; 5/677) were positive for methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Among elderly community-dwellers colonization with S. aureus was significantly associated with higher educational level (adjusted OR: 1.905 [95\% CI: 1.248-2.908]; p = 0.003). Among nursing home residents colonization was associated with being married (adjusted OR: 3.367 [1.502-7.546]; p = 0.003). Conclusion The prevalence of N. meningitidis, H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae and GAS was low among older people in Germany. The S. aureus rate was expectedly high, while MRSA was found in less than 1\% of the individuals.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TahaClausLappannetal.2016,
  author    = {Taha, Muhamed-Kheir and Claus, Heike and Lappann, Martin and Veyrier, Fr{\´e}d{\´e}ric J. and Otto, Andreas and Becher, D{\"o}rte and Deghmane, Ala-Eddine and Frosch, Matthias and Hellenbrand, Wiebke and Hong, Eva and du Ch{\^a}telet, Isabelle Parent and Prior, Karola and Harmsen, Dag and Vogel, Ulrich},
  title     = {Evolutionary Events Associated with an Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease in Men Who Have Sex with Men},
  series = {PLoS ONE},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {PLoS ONE},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0154047},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-179870},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Meningococci spread via respiratory droplets, whereas the closely related gonococci are transmitted sexually. Several outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease have been reported in Europe and the United States among men who have sex with men (MSM). We recently identified an outbreak of serogroup C meningococcal disease among MSM in Germany and France. In this study, genomic and proteomic techniques were used to analyze the outbreak isolates. In addition, genetically identical urethritis isolates were recovered from France and Germany and included in the analysis. Genome sequencing revealed that the isolates from the outbreak among MSM and from urethritis cases belonged to a clade within clonal complex 11. Proteome analysis showed they expressed nitrite reductase, enabling anaerobic growth as previously described for gonococci. Invasive isolates from MSM, but not urethritis isolates, further expressed functional human factor H binding protein associated with enhanced survival in a newly developed transgenic mouse model expressing human factor H, a complement regulatory protein. In conclusion, our data suggest that urethritis and outbreak isolates followed a joint adaptation route including adaption to the urogenital tract.},
  language  = {en}
}