Untersuchungen über die Meningokokkenträgerquote im Hinblick auf Alter und Geschlecht

Abstract

The Meningococcal Carrier Rate with Special Re/erence to Age and Sex Summary. In healthy children under 2 years meningococci could never be isolated from the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Beginning from the third year of life, the carrier rate rises to over 300/0 at the end of the fourth decennium and then decreases slightly. The rex ratio among carriers is the same as among patients (3:2). More than half of the strains isolated belonged to group B; representatives of groups A and Z were also relatively numerous (14~ each).The lactose-positive N. meningococcoides could already be found in the second month of life, the peak of the carrier curve fell into the third or fourth year. Later in life, less than 5~ of the population are carriers. No sexual disposition could be demonstrated. The pathogenicity of this species seems to be far lower than that of N. meningitld~s.