A cluster of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W among university students, France, February to May 2017.

Clément Bassi (1) , Muhamed-Kheir Taha (2) , Christian Merle (3) , Eva Hong (2) , Daniel Levy-Bruhl (4) , Anne-Sophie Barret (4) , Ibrahim Mounchetrou Njoya (1)

1 CIRE- Ile de France
2 CNR - Centre National de Référence des Méningocoques et Haemophilus influenzae - National Reference Center Meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae
3 ARS - Agence Régionale de la Santé
4 Santé publique France - French National Public Health Agency [Saint-Maurice, France]

Between February and May 2017, two cases of invasive meningococcal disease caused by a new, rapidly expanding serogroup W meningococci variant were reported among students of an international university in Paris. Bacteriological investigations showed that isolates shared identical genotypic formula (W:P1.5,2:F1–1:cc11) and belonged to the South American/UK lineage. A vaccination campaign was organised that aimed at preventing new cases linked to potential persistence of the circulation of the bacteria in the students.

Keywords: serogroup W; invasive meningococcal disease; university; cluster; South American/UK strain; Neisseria meningitidis; MenACWY conjugate vaccine

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Clément Bassi, Muhamed-Kheir Taha, Christian Merle, Eva Hong, Daniel Levy-Bruhl, et al.. A cluster of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W among university students, France, February to May 2017.. Eurosurveillance, 2017, 22 (28), pii=30574. ⟨10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.28.30574⟩. ⟨pasteur-02013233⟩