disease information
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Meningococcal Disease |
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative diplococcal bacterium that causes meningitis and meningococcemia. The N. meningitides infection usually begins when the bacteria, that can be present in the throat but not cause illness, penetrates the nasopharyngeal surface and enters the blood stream.
The signs and symptoms of acute meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis are indistinguishable from signs and symptoms of acute meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or other pathogens.
There are at least 13 Neisseria meningitidis serogroups. Strains belonging to A, B, C, Y and W-135 groups cause the most disease worldwide. Serogroup B, C and Y each account for 30% of reported cases In the United States. Sixty percent of reported cases among young adults are caused by serogroup C, Y, or W-135. In infants 50% of cases are caused by serogroup B.
During 2007, eight cases of N. meningitides were reported to Maine CDC for a rate of 0.6 cases per 100,000 population. In 2006, Maine had nine cases reported for a rate of 0.7 cases per 100,000 population. Nationwide in 2006 1,194 cases were reported with a rate of 0.4 cases per 100,000 population.
Four of the eight cases resided in Cumberland County (three serogroup B and one serogroup C). One serogroup C case resided in Oxford County, one case of serogroup Y resided in each of Androscoggin and Washington Counties and one unknown serogroup case was from Kennebec County. Age ranged from 1 to 70 years with a median of 31 years of age.
Vaccine is available for serogroups A, C, Y, and W135, the serogroups that cause the most infections in young adults. The vaccine is recommended for college students, military recruits, overseas travelers and other persons considered to be at increased risk of infection. To prevent the spread of infection from a confirmed case post exposure chemo-prophylactic treatment is recommended to persons who had been exposed to the infected individual’s oral secretions.
Source: Reportable Infectious Diseases in Maine: 2007 Summary
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