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

Xilian Bai (1) , Ray Borrow (1) , Suzana Bukovski (2) , Dominique A Caugant (3) , Davor Culic (4) , Snezana Delic (4) , Ener Cagri Dinleyici (5) , Medeia Eloshvili (6) , Tímea Erdősi (7) , Jelena Galajeva (8) , Pavla Křížová (9) , Jay Lucidarme (10) , Konstantin Mironov (11) , Zuridin Nurmatov (12) , Marina Pana (13) , Erkin Rahimov (14) , Larisa Savrasova (15) , Anna Skoczyńska (16) , Vinny Smith (17) , Muhamed-Kheir Taha (18) , Leonid Titov (19) , Julio A Vazquez (20) , Lyazzat Yeraliyeva (21)

1 MRU - Meningococcal Reference Unit
2 University Hospital for Infectious Diseases [Zagreb]
3 NIPH - Norwegian Institute of Public Health [Oslo]
4 BATUT - Institute of Public Health of Serbia
5 Eskisehir Osmangazi University
6 National Center for Disease Control and Public Health [Tbilisi, Armenia]
7 National center for public health [Hungary]
8 Riga East University Hospital
9 National Institute of Public Health [Prague]
10 Public Health England [London]
11 Central Research Institute of Epidemiology [Moscow]
12 Scientific and Production Association “Preventive Medicine” [Bishkek]
13 Cantacuzino National Medico-Military Institute for Research Development [Bucharest]
14 Baku Medical Plaza [Azerbaijan]
15 The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia
16 NIL - National Medicines Institute - Narodowy Instytut Leków [Warsaw]
17 Meningitis Research Foundation [Bristol]
18 CNR - Centre National de Référence des Méningocoques et Haemophilus influenzae - National Reference Center Meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae
19 Republican Research and Practical Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology [Minsk, Belarus]
20 ISC - Instituto de Salud Carlos III [Madrid]
21 AFK - Kazakh National University

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.

Keywords: Neisseria meningitidis; Meningococcal disease; Immunization program; High-risk groups; Antibiotic resistance; Bacterial meningitis; Conjugate vaccine; Eastern Europe; Polysaccharide vaccine; Refugees

Domains: Infectious diseases

Xilian Bai, Ray Borrow, Suzana Bukovski, Dominique A Caugant, Davor Culic, et al.. Prevention and control of meningococcal disease: Updates from the Global Meningococcal Initiative in Eastern Europe. Journal of Infection, 2019, 79 (6), pp.528-541. ⟨10.1016/j.jinf.2019.10.018⟩. ⟨pasteur-02618573⟩