Meningococcal disease in Catalonia 1 year after mass vaccination campaign with meningococcal group C polysaccharide vaccine

• Published in: Infection Vol. 31; no. 6; pp. 392 - 397
• Main Authors: CARDENOSA, N, DOMINGUEZ, A, MARTINEZ, A, ALVAREZ, J, PANELLA, H, GODOY, P, MINGUELL, S, CAMPS, N, VAZQUEZ, J. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.12.2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immunization Programs; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Mass Vaccination; Medical sciences; Meningitis, Meningococcal - diagnosis; Meningitis, Meningococcal - epidemiology; Meningitis, Meningococcal - prevention & control; Meningococcal Infections - diagnosis; Meningococcal Infections - epidemiology; Meningococcal Infections - prevention & control; Meningococcal Vaccines - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Neisseria meningitidis; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - administration & dosage; Prevalence; Registries; Risk Assessment; Serologic Tests; Sex Distribution; Spain - epidemiology; Survival Rate; Time Factors; Vaccines; Europe; Spain; Spain, Catalonia; Human; Rate; Vaccination; Neisseriaceae; Characteristic; Neisseria meningitidis; Vaccine; Method; Epidemiology; Incidence; Infection; Case study; Prevention; Immunoprophylaxis; Winter; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Child; Polysaccharide; Age; Meningococcal disease
• ISSN: 0300-8126; 1439-0973
• DOI: 10.1007/s15010-003-3121-6

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal disease in Catalonia (Spain) after vaccination with the polysaccharide vaccine. Cases were collected by the Statutory Diseases Reporting System. 176 cases were reported, an overall incidence of 2.9/100,000 persons/year. 60% of cases occurred during winter and spring. The case fatality rate was 6.3%. The highest age incidence was in children under 2 years of age (48/100,000 persons/year). Comparison of the cases detected by the Statutory Diseases Reporting System with those obtained by the Microbiological Reporting System shows that meningococcal disease surveillance in Catalonia was relatively complete (95.7%), with a positive predictive value of 66.3%. 115 cases (65%) were culture-confirmed with a rate of 1.9/100,000 persons/year. 86 (75%) cases were due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B and 21 to serogroup C (18%). Although infections due to serogroup C have decreased after mass vaccination with the polysaccharide vaccine, it is likely that the number of infections will decrease further with the conjugate meningococcal group C vaccine.