Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown on invasive meningococcal disease

Abstract

Objective: Few data are available on the association between SARS-CoV-2 and secondary bacterial infections. Such an association was described for flu and invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). We aimed exploring such a correlation between COVID-19 and IMD as well as the impact of the lockdown on IMD. Results: We compared IMD cases received at the French National Reference Centre for meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae that are sent as part of the mandatory reporting of IMD. We compared these data during the period 01 January-15 May 2020 to those from the same period in 2018 and 2019. IMD cases that were associated with respiratory presentations significantly increased in 2020 compared to 2018 (P = 0.029) and 2019 (P = 0.002), involved elderly and were due to unusual isolates. However, IMD cases due to hyperinvasive isolates decreased during the lockdown. Enhancing IMD surveillance and anti-meningococcal vaccination in elderly should be addressed.

A Narrative Review of the W, X, Y, E, and NG of Meningococcal Disease: Emerging Capsular Groups, Pathotypes, and Global Control

“…MenY is also expressed in cc11, cc32, and cc41/44 clonal complex backgrounds that are more frequently associated with other capsular groups. Interestingly, comparison of IMD cases during a 2-month lockdown period in 2020 and the same periods of 2018 and 2019 in France found significant decrease in all IMD cases from prior years, and seemed to mainly involve IMD cases due to groups B and C and W, but not IMD due to group Y and other groups or nongroupable isolates [ 11 ]. The MenY genotypes had not changed in 2020 and were cc23 [ 11 ].…”

“…Interestingly, comparison of IMD cases during a 2-month lockdown period in 2020 and the same periods of 2018 and 2019 in France found significant decrease in all IMD cases from prior years, and seemed to mainly involve IMD cases due to groups B and C and W, but not IMD due to group Y and other groups or nongroupable isolates [ 11 ]. The MenY genotypes had not changed in 2020 and were cc23 [ 11 ]. The observed IMD decreased mainly in the highly transmissible and hyperinvasive isolates belonging to cc11.…”

“…In this report, we provide an overview of carriage and invasive disease caused by “minor” N. meningitidis groups W, X, Y, and E as well as nongroupable meningococci causing invasive disease and sexually transmitted infections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have experienced a significant, sustained reduction in invasive diseases due to N meningitidis [ 11 ] and other invasive respiratory pathogens ( Hemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae , but not S. agalactiae ), coinciding with the introduction of COVID-19 containment measures (medRxiv preprint, , access on 20 November 2020).…”

Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Pediatric Infectious Disease Research

“…Several reports have shown that the incidence of specific pathogen infections such as influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, meningococcus, and pneumococcus was reduced in many countries. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 Australia reported a concurrent lower frequency of respiratory syncytial virus detection and admission to hospital for bronchiolitis in 2020 as compared with preceding years. 19 In this country, despite schools reopening, a 99.4% reduction was reported in influenza detection following Australian public health measures.…”

“… 18 These data suggest that the epidemiology of these infectious diseases may change in an unpredictable manner in the coming months and years, requiring close and active surveillance. 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 …”