TY - JOUR
T1 - Meningococcal carriage in adolescents in the United Kingdom to inform timing of an adolescent vaccination strategy
AU - Jeppesen, Catherine A
AU - Snape, Matthew D
AU - Robinson, Hannah
AU - Gossger, Nicoletta
AU - John, Tessa M
AU - Voysey, Merryn
AU - Ladhani, Shamez
AU - Okike, Ifeanyichukwu O
AU - Oeser, Clarissa
AU - Kent, Alison
AU - Oliver, Jennifer
AU - Taylor, Pippa
AU - Morales-Aza, Begonia
AU - Clarke, Stuart C
AU - Casey, Michelle
AU - Martins, Filipa
AU - Kitchin, Nicholas R E
AU - Anderson, Annaliesa S
AU - Jones, Hal
AU - Jansen, Kathrin U
AU - Eiden, Joseph
AU - Pedneault, Louise
AU - Heath, Paul T
AU - Finn, Adam
AU - Pollard, Andrew J
AU - Faust, Saul N
N1 - Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/7
Y1 - 2015/7
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Recent development of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines highlights the importance of pharyngeal carriage data, particularly in adolescents and young adults, to inform implementation strategies. We describe current UK carriage prevalence in this high risk population and compare methods of carriage detection.METHODS: In this multisite study, pharyngeal swabs were collected on 3-4 occasions over 6-12 months, from 1040 school and university students, aged 10-25 years. Meningococcal carriage was detected by standard culture combined with seroagglutination or PCR of cultured isolates, or by direct PCR from swab. The factor H binding protein (fHBP) variants present in meningococcal isolates were determined.RESULTS: Meningococcal serogroups B and Y were most common, with carriage up to 6.5% and 5.5% respectively, increasing throughout adolescence. Identification by seroagglutination was often unreliable, and the sensitivity of direct PCR detection was 66% compared to culture combined with PCR. Of MenB isolates, 89.1% had subfamily A variants of fHBP. The acquisition rate of MenB carriage was estimated at 2.8 per 1000 person-months.CONCLUSIONS: If vaccination is to precede the adolescent rise in MenB carriage, these data suggest it should take place in early adolescence. Studies assessing vaccine impact should use molecular methods to detect carriage.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Recent development of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines highlights the importance of pharyngeal carriage data, particularly in adolescents and young adults, to inform implementation strategies. We describe current UK carriage prevalence in this high risk population and compare methods of carriage detection.METHODS: In this multisite study, pharyngeal swabs were collected on 3-4 occasions over 6-12 months, from 1040 school and university students, aged 10-25 years. Meningococcal carriage was detected by standard culture combined with seroagglutination or PCR of cultured isolates, or by direct PCR from swab. The factor H binding protein (fHBP) variants present in meningococcal isolates were determined.RESULTS: Meningococcal serogroups B and Y were most common, with carriage up to 6.5% and 5.5% respectively, increasing throughout adolescence. Identification by seroagglutination was often unreliable, and the sensitivity of direct PCR detection was 66% compared to culture combined with PCR. Of MenB isolates, 89.1% had subfamily A variants of fHBP. The acquisition rate of MenB carriage was estimated at 2.8 per 1000 person-months.CONCLUSIONS: If vaccination is to precede the adolescent rise in MenB carriage, these data suggest it should take place in early adolescence. Studies assessing vaccine impact should use molecular methods to detect carriage.
U2 - 10.1016/j.jinf.2015.02.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jinf.2015.02.006
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 25709085
SN - 0163-4453
VL - 71
SP - 43
EP - 52
JO - Journal of Infection
JF - Journal of Infection
IS - 1
ER -