TY - JOUR
T1 - Meningococcal carriage among Georgia and Maryland high school students
AU - Harrison, Lee H.
AU - Shutt, Kathleen A.
AU - Arnold, Kathryn E.
AU - Stern, Eric J.
AU - Pondo, Tracy
AU - Kiehlbauch, Julia A.
AU - Myers, Robert A.
AU - Hollick, Rosemary A.
AU - Schmink, Susanna
AU - Vello, Marianne
AU - Stephens, David S.
AU - Messonnier, Nancy E.
AU - Mayer, Leonard W.
AU - Clark, Thomas A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/6/1
Y1 - 2015/6/1
N2 - Background. Meningococcal disease incidence in the United States is at an all-time low. In a previous study of Georgia high school students, meningococcal carriage prevalence was 7%. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a meningococcal conjugate vaccine on serogroup Y meningococcal carriage and to define the dynamics of carriage in high school students. Methods. This was a prospective cohort study at 8 high schools, 4 each in Maryland and Georgia, during a school year. Students at participating schools received quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine that uses diphtheria toxoid as the protein carrier (MCV4-DT). In each state, 2 high schools were randomly assigned for MCV4-DT receipt by students at the beginning of the study, and 2 were randomly assigned for MCV4-DT receipt at the end. Oropharyngeal swab cultures for meningococcal carriage were performed 3 times during the school year. Results. Among 3311 students, the prevalence of meningococcal carriage was 3.21%-4.01%. Phenotypically nongroupable strains accounted for 88% of carriage isolates. There were only 5 observed acquisitions of serogroup Y strains during the study; therefore, the impact of MCV4-DT on meningococcal carriage could not be determined. Conclusions. Meningococcal carriage rates in US high school students were lower than expected, and the vast majority of strains did not express capsule. These findings may help explain the historically low incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States.
AB - Background. Meningococcal disease incidence in the United States is at an all-time low. In a previous study of Georgia high school students, meningococcal carriage prevalence was 7%. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a meningococcal conjugate vaccine on serogroup Y meningococcal carriage and to define the dynamics of carriage in high school students. Methods. This was a prospective cohort study at 8 high schools, 4 each in Maryland and Georgia, during a school year. Students at participating schools received quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine that uses diphtheria toxoid as the protein carrier (MCV4-DT). In each state, 2 high schools were randomly assigned for MCV4-DT receipt by students at the beginning of the study, and 2 were randomly assigned for MCV4-DT receipt at the end. Oropharyngeal swab cultures for meningococcal carriage were performed 3 times during the school year. Results. Among 3311 students, the prevalence of meningococcal carriage was 3.21%-4.01%. Phenotypically nongroupable strains accounted for 88% of carriage isolates. There were only 5 observed acquisitions of serogroup Y strains during the study; therefore, the impact of MCV4-DT on meningococcal carriage could not be determined. Conclusions. Meningococcal carriage rates in US high school students were lower than expected, and the vast majority of strains did not express capsule. These findings may help explain the historically low incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States.
KW - Neisseria meningitidis
KW - high school students
KW - meningococcal
KW - meningococcal conjugate vaccine
KW - meningococcus
KW - oropharyngeal carriage
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U2 - 10.1093/infdis/jiu679
DO - 10.1093/infdis/jiu679
M3 - Article
C2 - 25505298
AN - SCOPUS:84930427267
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 211
SP - 1761
EP - 1768
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 11
ER -