Meningococcal Carriage Evaluation in Response to a Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease Outbreak and Mass Vaccination Campaign at a College—Rhode Island, 2015–2016

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 64; no. 8; pp. 1115 - 1122
• Main Authors: Soeters, Heidi M., Whaley, Melissa, Alexander-Scott, Nicole, Kanadanian, Koren V., MacNeil, Jessica R., Martin, Stacey W., McNamara, Lucy A., Sicard, Kenneth, Vanner, Cynthia, Vuong, Jeni, Wang, Xin, Bandy, Utpala, Patel, Manisha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 15-04-2017
• Subjects: Adult; ARTICLES AND COMMENTARIES; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Carrier State - prevention & control; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Female; Humans; Immunization; Infectious diseases; Male; Mass Vaccination; Meningococcal Infections - epidemiology; Meningococcal Infections - microbiology; Meningococcal Infections - prevention & control; Meningococcal Vaccines - administration & dosage; Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B - isolation & purification; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; Rhode Island - epidemiology; Young Adult; United States > US; meningococcal disease; outbreak; vaccines; serogroup B; nasopharyngeal carriage
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix091

Background. Serogroup B meningococcal disease caused 7 US university outbreaks during 2013–2016. Neisseria meningitidis can be transmitted via asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carriage. MenB-FHbp (factor H binding protein), a serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine, was used to control a college outbreak. We investigated MenB-FHbp impact on meningococcal carriage. Methods. Four cross-sectional surveys were conducted in conjunction with MenB-FHbp vaccination campaigns. Questionnaires and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from students. Specimens were evaluated using culture, slide agglutination, real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR), and whole genome sequencing. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were calculated using generalized estimating equations. Results. During each survey, 20%–24% of participants carried any meningococcal bacteria and 4% carried serogroup B by rt-PCR. The outbreak strain (ST-9069) was not detected during the initial survey; 1 student carried ST-9069 in the second and third surveys. No carriage reduction was observed over time or with more MenB-FHbp doses. In total, 615 students participated in multiple surveys: 71% remained noncarriers, 8% cleared carriage, 15% remained carriers, and 7% acquired carriage. Ten students acquired serogroup B carriage: 3 after 1 MenB-FHbp dose, 4 after 2 doses, and 3 after 3 doses. Smoking (aPR, 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–1.5) and male sex (aPR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.5) were associated with increased meningococcal carriage. Conclusions. Carriage prevalence on campus remained stable, suggesting MenB-FHbp does not rapidly reduce meningococcal carriage or prevent serogroup B carriage acquisition. This reinforces the need for high vaccination coverage to protect vaccinated individuals and chemoprophylaxis for close contacts during outbreaks.