Oropharyngeal meningococcal carriage in children and adolescents, a single center study in Buenos Aires, Argentina

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 3; p. e0247991
• Main Authors: Gentile, Angela, Della Latta, Maria Paula, Bloch, Mercedes, Martorelli, Luisina, Wisner, Barbara, Sorhouet Pereira, Cecilia, Regueira, Mabel, Juarez, Maria Del Valle, Umido, Veronica, Efron, Adriana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29.03.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescents; Age; Aminopeptidase; Biology and Life Sciences; Children; Cigarette smoking; Colleges & universities; Data collection; Demographic aspects; Demographics; Demography; Diphtheria; Diphtheria toxin; Disease; Epidemiology; Extracurricular activities; Genetic aspects; Glutamyl aminopeptidase; Health risks; Hospitals; Housing; Immunization; Infants; Informed consent; Ionization; Kindergarten; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicine and Health Sciences; Membrane proteins; Meningitis; Neisseria meningitidis; Nightclubs; Passive smoking; Pediatric research; People and Places; Physiological aspects; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Smoking; Social Sciences; Teenagers; Throat diseases; Toxins; Vaccines; Argentina
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247991

Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) pharyngeal carriage is a necessary condition for invasive disease. We present the first carriage study in children in Buenos Aires, Argentina, considering 2017 as a transition year. Aims: to assess the rate of Nm carriage, to determine genogroup, clonal complex and outer membrane protein distribution, to determine carriage risk factors by age. Cross-sectional study including children 1-17 yrs, at Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital in Buenos Aires 2017. Oro-pharyngeal swabs were taken and cultured within a short time after collection. Genogroup was determined by PCR and clonal complex by MLST. Categorical variables were analyzed. A total of 1,751 children were included. Group 1: 943 children 1-9 yrs, 38 Nm were isolated; overall carriage 4.0%. Genogroup distribution: B 26.3%, W 5.3%, Y 2.6%, Z 5.3%, other groups 7.9% and capsule null (cnl) 52.6%. Participating in extracurricular activities was the only independent predictor of Nm carriage. Group 2: 808 children 10-17 yrs, 76 Nm were isolated; overall carriage 9.4%. Genogroup distribution: B 19.7%, C 5.3%, W 7.9%, Y 9.2%, Z 5.3%, other groups 7.9% and cnl 44.7%. Independent predictors of carriage: attending pubs/night clubs and passive smoking (adjusted OR: 0.55, 95%CI = 0.32-0.93; p = 0.025). Overall carriage was higher in 10-17 yrs. The isolates presenting the cnl locus were prevalent in both age groups and genogroup B was the second most frequent.