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Vol. 14. Issue 3.
Pages 242-251 (May - June 2010)
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Vol. 14. Issue 3.
Pages 242-251 (May - June 2010)
Original article
Open Access
Microbiological epidemiological history of meningococcal disease in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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2831
David Eduardo Barroso1,2,3,
Corresponding author
barroso@ioc.fiocruz.br

Correspondence to: Laboratório de Sistemática Bioquímica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Av. Brasil, 4365 Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brazil CEP: 21040-900.
, D.M. Carvalho2, S.T. Casagrande4, M.C. Rebelo1, V. Soares1, V. Zahner3, C.A. Solari5, S.A. Nogueira1,2
1 Instituto Estadual de Infectologia São Sebastião, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
3 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
4 Bacteriology Section, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
5 Department of Bacteriology, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Abstract

The main objectives of the present study were to investigate the clinical and laboratory features of meningococcal disease in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the overlap of 2 epidemics in the 1990s. We conducted a study of a series of cases of meningococcal disease admitted in a Meningitis Reference Hospital. All clinical isolates available were analyzed by means of microbiological epidemiological markers. In 1990, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B:4,7:P1.19,15, 1.7,1 sulfadiazine-resistant of the ET-5 complex emerged causing epidemic disease. Despite mass vaccination campaign (VaMengoc B+C®), the ET-5 clone remained hyperendemic after the epidemic peaked. In 1993 to 1995, an epidemic of serogroup C belonged to the cluster A4 overlapped, with a significant shift in the age distribution toward older age groups and an increase of sepsis. Serogroup C epidemics are a recurrent problem in Rio de Janeiro, which can be hindered with the introduction of a conjugate vaccine. We hope the data presented here brings useful information to discuss vaccines strategies and early management of suspected cases.

Keywords:
Neisseria meningitidis
meningococcal disease
epidemic
meningitis
sepsis
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