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New Outbreaks, New Strategies

Jay D. Wenger, MD

JAMA. 1999;281:1541-1543.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Meningococcal disease is among the most feared infections of children and young adults because of the rapidity of onset, high mortality rate, devastating sequelae, and tendency to spread and cause outbreaks. Two articles in this issue of THE JOURNAL^1-2 highlight the challenge of serogroup B meningococci—the most common cause of meningococcal disease in many countries.

Meningococci are commonly classified based on serologic reactivity of their polysaccharide capsules. At least 13 serogroups have been identified, but serogroups A, B, and C strains are the most common causes of human disease. Serogroup A organisms can cause massive outbreaks, and in some areas, such as the African meningitis belt, countrywide epidemics with attack rates approaching 1 to 2 cases per 100 persons per year strike repeatedly. In other areas, including the Americas and Europe, serogroups B and C cause most meningococcal disease. In North America and Western Europe, multiple . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Expanded Programme on Immunization, Vaccines and Other Biologicals, Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

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