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Geographical distribution of invasive meningococcal disease and carriage: A spatial analysis

Adriana Milazzo1, Mark McMillan2,3,4, Lynne Giles1,3

  • 1School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

Epidemiology and Infection
|January 18, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study found no direct spatial link between invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) and Neisseria meningitidis carriage. However, both IMD and carriage were more common in regional areas, emphasizing vaccine needs.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Spatial Analysis

Background:

  • Limited understanding of the spatial relationship between invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) and Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) carriage.
  • IMD remains a significant public health concern globally.
  • Asymptomatic carriage is a key factor in N. meningitidis transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial relationship between IMD cases and N. meningitidis carriage in South Australia.
  • To identify geographical patterns of IMD and carriage.
  • To inform public health strategies for meningococcal disease prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Spatial analysis of geocoded carriage data and Postal Area (POA) centroids for IMD case notifications.
  • Analysis of disease- and non-disease-associated genogroups from 2017 to 2020.
  • Comparison of spatial distributions between metropolitan and regional areas.

Main Results:

  • No clear spatial association was found between N. meningitidis carriage and IMD cases.
  • Genogroup analysis revealed differing spatial distributions between metropolitan and regional areas.
  • Regional areas exhibited higher rates of both IMD cases and carriage prevalence.

Conclusions:

  • While direct spatial correlation is absent, higher rates of IMD and carriage in regional areas warrant attention.
  • The findings underscore the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage, particularly in non-metropolitan regions.
  • Further research may explore other factors influencing IMD and carriage distribution.
Keywords:
Neisseria meningitidisVaccinationgeographical distributionmeningococcal carriagemeningococcal disease

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