NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS: EVOLUCIÓN DE SUS PATRONES DE RESISTENCIA ANTIMICROBIANA A LO LARGO DEL TIEMPO

Autores/as

  • José Eduardo Oliva Marín Jefe, Unidad de Ensayos Clínicos, Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria Autor/a

Palabras clave:

Neisseria meningitidis, meningitis, meningococcemia, resistencia bacteriana, secuenciación de genoma completo

Resumen

Introducción. La resistencia a los antimicrobianos en Neisseria meningitidis ha mostrado una evolución significativa en las últimas décadas, reflejando cambios en la práctica clínica y en la presión selectiva ejercida por el uso de antibióticos. 

Métodos. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda en bases de datos especializadas, incluyendo PubMed y Google Scholar, utilizando palabras tales como “Neisseria meningitidis”, “meningococcal”, “antibiotic resistance” y “resistencia a los antibióticos”. 

Discusión. Se han documentado gradualmente cepas con susceptibilidad disminuida a la penicilina, caracterizadas por mutaciones genéticas que codifican las proteínas de unión a esta, lo que ha reducido la efectividad de terapias estándar. Posteriormente, se han observado aislados con resistencia a ciprofloxacina, rifampicina y tetraciclinas, aunque estos casos son relativamente poco frecuentes. La propagación de genes de resistencia a través de elementos genéticos móviles y la recombinación horizontal contribuyen a la diversidad de perfiles antimicrobianos en distintas regiones geográficas. Esta evolución plantea desafíos clínicos y de salud pública, ya que limita las opciones tanto terapéuticas como profilácticas y requiere vigilancia constante. 

Conclusión. La vigilancia global y la adopción de políticas de uso racional de antimicrobianos son fundamentales para contener la expansión de cepas resistentes y garantizar la efectividad futura de los tratamientos frente a Neisseria meningitidis.

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2026-08-07

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