The first case of neisseria meningitidis serogrup X meningitis in Turkey

Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis, an agent of bacterial meningitis, is classified into 13 different serogroups. Serogrups A, B, C, W135 and Y are the predominant serogroups. A meningococcal vaccine containing serogroups A and C has been used to prevent recruits from this fatal disease until May 2009 in Turkey. From then on, administration of the quadrivalent vaccine consisting of "A+C+W135+Y" serogroups has been implemented because of the emergence of menigococcal meningitis cases caused by serogroupW135.We presented the first known menigococcal meningitis case caused by N.meningitidis serogroup X since the initiation of the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine administration to recruits. Serogroup X has emerged as a cause of meningococcal disease in a susceptible population because of suppression of other serogroups included in the quadrivalent vaccine. The results of mass vaccination campaigns have implied that the mass vaccination programs alone cannot prevent the disease totally. The improvement of environmental conditions particularly for populations at high risk is also essential in the prevention of the disease. Copyright © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.