Neisseria meningitidis is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis globally and can also cause sepsis, pneumonia, and other manifestations. In countries with high endemic rates, the disease burden places an immense strain on the public health system. The worldwide epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) varies markedly by region and over time. This review summarizes the bu...

Neisseria meningitidis is a commensal of human nasopharynx and humans are the only known reservoir and host of this bacterium. It is also known as a dangerous and devastating pathogen, and infection with N. meningitidis may lead to rapidly progressing septicemia or meningitis. These severe infections, called invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), are one of the major public health threats worldw...

In Italy, the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) has remained stable since 2007 (around 0.3 cases/100,000 inhabitants). However, as reported for other European countries, an increase of serogroup Y Neisseria meningitidis has been observed. In this study we report IMD cases from 2007 to 2013 in Italy and investigate the clinical and epidemiological features of cases affected by se...

The incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) before (1984-1988) and after (1989-1994), a nationwide intervention with VA-MENGOC-BC vaccination started in 1989, was compared. The prevaccination period incidence density (ID> 8.8/10(5) year-person) was higher than the postvaccination ID (ID< 6.5/10(5) year-person). The percentage proportional differences from the start to the end of each ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the benefit and costs of vaccination of university students against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Canada. METHODS Published studies were reviewed and a simulation model was used. RESULTS IMD risk seems to be of low magnitude, but consequences can be dramatic. Over a 10-year period, IMD risk reduction would be slightly greater using a monovalent C conjugate va...

On 25 June 2013, Germany reported three cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) among men who have sex with men (MSM) caused by N. meningitidis serogroup C. All three isolates were serogroup C, PorAVR1: 5-1; PorA-VR2: 10-8 and FetA: 3-6 and confirmed as ST-11/ET-15. On 26 June, Belgium retrospectively reported (via EPIS-VPD) a single case of IMD in a homosexual male diagnosed in March 201...

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is an important cause of meningitis and bacteremia worldwide. Seasonal variation in IMD incidence has long been recognized, but mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon remain poorly understood. The authors sought to evaluate the effect of environmental factors on IMD risk in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a major urban center. Associations between monthly we...

Background. Studies in the 1990s establishing an increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in first year college students living in residence halls were the foundation for US ACIP recommendations for routine meningococcal serogroup A, C, W-135 and Y (MenACWY) vaccination in this group. Recent college campus outbreaks of meningococcal serogroup B (MenB), such as that at Princeton Un...

In 2011, there were 241 laboratory-confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) analysed by the National Neisseria Network, which represented 100% of cases notified to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. One hundred and twenty-five isolates of Neisseria meningitidis from invasive cases of meningococcal disease were available for which the phenotypes (serogroup, sero...

BACKGROUND Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a worldwide health issue that is potentially preventable with vaccination. In view of its sporadic nature and the high diversity of Neisseria meningitidis, epidemiological surveillance incorporating detailed isolate characterisation is crucial for effective control and understanding the evolving epidemiology of IMD. The Meningitis Research Foun...