Genetic Analysis of Meningococci Carried by Children and Young Adults

Abstract

Serogroup C capsule expression during carriage may contribute to the invasive character of ST-11 complex meningococci and to the high efficacy of meningococcal serogroup C conjugate polysaccharide vaccine.

Epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease in Germany, 2002–2010, and impact of vaccination with meningococcal C conjugate vaccine

“…These rates are much lower than those achieved in countries such as the UK (≥93% by second birthday since 2005, and ≥85% among 5-17 year old children in the schoolbased catch-up campaign 21 ) or the Netherlands, in which coverage of 94% was achieved in 1-18 year old persons within the catch-up campaign. 17 Thus, vaccination coverage attained through a recommendation for "individual"-based catch-up in Germany appears inadequate to achieve reduction of carriage in older children with the highest carriage rates, 24 and thus to have a major impact on transmission. The relatively rapid loss of immunity after a single dose of SgC conjugate vaccine among children vaccinated at a young age 25 may further undermine population immunity in Germany.…”

Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Carriage and Invasive Disease Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis in Finland

“…It is also part of the normal nasopharyngeal microbiota of healthy persons (25,34). The rate of asymptomatic carriage varies greatly depending on the population and epidemiological situation in question, ranging between 10% and 35% among young adults in Europe and the United States (6,10,34). Carriage is more common in teenagers and young adults than in young children (3), and the highest transmission and carriage rates have been reported for populations of people living in close contact with one another, such as university students or military recruits sharing dormitories (7).…”

Role of Factor H Binding Protein in Neisseria meningitidis Virulence and Its Potential as a Vaccine Candidate To Broadly Protect against Meningococcal Disease

“…The fHBP distribution of carriage isolates from this age group has also been studied. These isolates have a higher proportion of fHBP subfamily A variants regardless of whether they possess a capsule locus (5) or not (41). These observations lead to an interesting proposition that isolates more associated with adolescent carriage or disease in the extreme age groups express fHBP subfamily A proteins, whereas isolates that cause disease in older children and adolescents are more associated with fHBP subfamily B.…”

“…Exposure to the pathogen is initiated by carriage. Rates of carriage range from 10% to 35% in young adults, with most individuals being colonized at some time in their life (4,5). In most people, carriage is an immunizing event resulting in stimulation of an adaptive immune response to the carriage strain (6).…”