Prevention and control of meningococcal disease: Updates from the Global Meningococcal Initiative in Eastern Europe

The Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) aims to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) worldwide through education, research and cooperation. In March 2019, a GMI meeting was held with a multidisciplinary group of experts and representatives from countries within Eastern Europe. Across the c...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Bai, Xilian, Borrow, Ray, Bukovski, Suzana, Caugant, Dominique A, Culic, Davor, Delic, Snezana, Dinleyici, Ener Cagri, Eloshvili, Medeia, Erdősi, Tímea, Galajeva, Jelena, Křížová, Pavla, Lucidarme, Jay, Mironov, Konstantin, Nurmatov, Zuridin, Pana, Marina, Rahimov, Erkin, Savrasova, Larisa, Skoczyńska, Anna, Smith, Vinny, Taha, Muhamed-Kheir, Titov, Leonid, Vazquez-Moreno, Julio Alberto, Yeraliyeva, Lyazzat
Format: article
Publication Date:2019
Country:España
Institution:Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Repository:Repisalud
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repisalud.isciii.es:20.500.12105/13817
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/13817
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Disease Outbreaks
Carrier State
Communicable Disease Control
Disease Transmission, Infectious
Europe, Eastern
Humans
Incidence
Meningococcal Infections
Meningococcal Vaccines
Neisseria meningitidis
Serogroup
Description
Summary:The Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) aims to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) worldwide through education, research and cooperation. In March 2019, a GMI meeting was held with a multidisciplinary group of experts and representatives from countries within Eastern Europe. Across the countries represented, IMD surveillance is largely in place, with incidence declining in recent decades and now generally at <1 case per 100,000 persons per year. Predominating serogroups are B and C, followed by A, and cases attributable to serogroups W, X and Y are emerging. Available vaccines differ between countries, are generally not included in immunization programs and provided to high-risk groups only. Available vaccines include both conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines; however, current data and GMI recommendations advocate the use of conjugate vaccines, where possible, due to the ability to interrupt the acquisition of carriage. Ongoing carriage studies are expected to inform vaccine effectiveness and immunization schedules. Additionally, IMD prevention and control should be guided by monitoring outbreak progression and the emergence and international spread of strains and antibiotic resistance through use of genomic analyses and implementation of World Health Organization initiatives. Protection of high-risk groups (such as those with complement deficiencies, laboratory workers, migrants and refugees) is recommended.

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