Longitudinal study of asymptomatic meningococcal carriage in two Belgian populations of schoolchildren

Abstract

In Brussels, a 15-month longitudinal survey was conducted in two primary schools, from March 1975 to May 1976, in order to analyse the dynamic of asymptomatic meningococcal carriage, during an epidemic mainly caused by serogroup B, serotype 2 Neisseria meningitidis. In the first school, which is situated in a suburban area with upper-middle socio-economic status of residents, a mean prevalence of carriers of 10 per cent, an acquisition rate of eight per 1000 months, and a mean duration of carriage of 12.4 months were observed among 158 schoolchildren aged six to 11 years old. In the second school, which is situated in a densely populated area with low socio-economic status of residents, a mean prevalence of carriers of 33 per cent, an acquisition rate of 28 per 1000 months, and a mean duration of carriage of 11.7 months were observed among 203 schoolchildren aged three to 14 years old. For both schools, the median duration of carriage was estimated at 9.4 months. The differences of prevalence and incidence of acquisition between the two schools cannot be explained by age, sex or ethnic factors and are probably related to socio familial variables. The theoretical relationship between prevalence, incidence and duration of meningococcal carriage was for the first time demonstrated in this study. The results also suggest that populations of low socio-economic status and living in densely populated areas constitute a target population for meningococcal disease prevention.