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Pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria lactamica in households with infants within areas with high and low incidences of meningococcal disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

S. F. Olsen
Affiliation:
Central Hospital, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
B. Djurhuus
Affiliation:
Central Hospital, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
K. Rasmussen
Affiliation:
Central Hospital, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
H. D. Joensen
Affiliation:
Chief Medical Officer, Faroe Islands
S. O. Larsen
Affiliation:
Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark
H. Zoffman
Affiliation:
Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark
I. Lind
Affiliation:
Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Summary

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In a household survey in the Faroe Islands, an isolated community with hyperendemic occurrence of meningococcal disease due to serogroup B 15, 1604 persons were examined for pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and N. lactamica. Two areas were chosen having experienced high (HIA), and two having experienced low incidences (LIA) of disease. Living in HIA compared with LIA was associated with higher risk of N. meningitidis B 15 carriage and lower risk of N. lactamica carriage, with odds ratios of 2·7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1·4–5·1, P = 0·003) and 0·41 (95% CI 0·31–0·53, P < 0·0001), respectively. In HIA the risk of N. meningitidis carriage was much lower in non-carriers than carriers of N. lactamica, with an odds ratio of 0·19 (95% CI 0·08–0·47, P = 0·0003); in LIA this association (odds ratio 0·51, P = 0·05) was much weaker. Children 0–14 years had substantially higher risk of being carriers of N. meningitidis group B 15 if the mothers were so, with an odds ratio of 11 (95% CI 4–29, P < 0·0001).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

References

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