Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T15:09:36.713Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An outbreak of serogroup B:15:P1.16 meningococcal disease, Frederiksborg county, Denmark, 1987–9

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

S. Samuelsson
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Statens Seruminstitut, DK-2300 Copenhagen,
P. Ege
Affiliation:
Institution of Medical Officers of Health, Frederiksborg County, Denmark
L. Berthelsen
Affiliation:
Neisseria Department, and,
I. Lind
Affiliation:
Neisseria Department, and,
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Epidemiological features of an outbreak of group B:15:P1.16 meningococcal disease (MD) in Frederiksborg country, Denmark, 1987–9, were investigated. The study comprised 149 cases notified during the outbreak and the two preceding years; 115 were confirmed by the isolation of Neisseria meningitidis. In 1989 the incidence had increased to 14·1 per 100 000 population. Among group B strains, B:15:P1.16 accounted for 80% (77/97). The overall mortality rate was 10% (15/149). Regarding cases due to group B:15:P1.16 strains a significant time-space clustering, which exclusively occurred within the 10–19 years age group, was demonstrated. The link between cases within clusters was indirect or unknown, except for ten patients with contact to one particular school. The prophylactic measures used included administration of rifampicin to household contacts. During the outbreak the proportion of secondary cases was high (6–15%). All secondary cases occurred outside the household indicating that the household had been protected.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

References

REFERENCES

1.Peltola, H.Meningococcal disease: still with us. Rev Infect Dis 1983; 5: 7191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Poolman, JT, Lind, I, Jónsdóttir, K et al. , Meningococcal serotypes and serogroup B disease in North–West Europe. Lancet 1986; II: 555–8.Google Scholar
3.Cartwright, KAV, Stuart, JM, Noah, ND. An outbreak of meningococcal disease in Gloucestershire. Lancet 1986; II: 558–61.Google Scholar
4.Nielsen, HE, Koch, C, Mansa, B et al. , Complement and immunoglobulin studies in 15 cases of chronic meningococcemia: Properdin deficiency and hypoimmunoglobulinemia. Scand J Infect Dis 1990; 22: 31–6.Google Scholar
5.Kronvall, G. A rapid slide agglutination method for typing pneumococci by means of specific antibody adsorbed to protein A–containing staphylococci. J Med Microbiol 1973; 6: 187–90.Google Scholar
6.Abdillahi, H, Poolman, JT. Whole-cell ELISA for typing Neisseria meningitidis with monoclonal antibodies. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1987; 48: 367–71.Google Scholar
7.Knox, G. Epidemiology of childhood leukaemia in Northumberland and Durham. Brit J Prev Soc Med 1964; 18: 1724.Google ScholarPubMed
8.Farries, JS, Dickson, W, Greenwood, E et al. , Meningococcal infections in Bolton, 1971–74. Lancet 1975; II; 118–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Easton, DM, Estcourt, PG, Brimblecombe, FSW et al. , Outbreak of meningococcal disease in Devon. Brit Med J 1974; 1: 507–9.Google Scholar
10.Bøvre, K. Meningococcal disease in Norway. J Microbiol 1986; 52: 208–11.Google Scholar
11.Weihe, P, Mathiassen, B, Rasmussen, JM et al. , An epidemic outbreak of group B meningococcal disease on the Faroe Islands. Scand J Infect Dis 1988; 20: 291–6.Google Scholar
12.Cruz, C, Pavez, G, Aguilar, E et al. , Serotype–specific outbreak of group B meningococcal disease in Iquique, Chile. Epidemiol Infect 1990; 105: 119–26.Google Scholar
13.Jónsdóttir, KE. Meningococcal disease in Iceland, 1975–1984. J Microbiol 1986; 52: 258.Google Scholar
14.Mathiassen, B, Thomsen, H, Landsfeldt, U. An evaluation of the accuracy of clinical diagnosis at admission in a population with epidemic meningococcal disease. J Intern Med 1989; 226: 113–6.Google Scholar
15.The Meningococcal Disease Surveillance Group. Analysis of endemic meningococcal disease by serogroup and evaluation of chemoprophylaxis. J Infect Dis 1976; 134: 201–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.De Wals, P, Herthoghe, L, Borlée-Grimée, I et al. , Meningococcal disease in Belgium. Secondary attack rate among household, day–care nursery and pre–elementary school contacts. J Infect 1981; 3 (Supplement 1): 5361.Google Scholar
17.Frøholm, LO. Recent meningococcal epidemiology in Norway and eight years of experience with monoclonal serotyping for strain characterization. Rationale for vaccine development. Abstract. Seventh International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 1990. In: Neisseriae–1990.Berlin:Papyrus–Druck GmbH,1990: 24.Google Scholar