OBJECTIVE: Meningococcal disease continues to be a serious public health concern, being associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in many countries from Latin America. In addition to discussing recent changes in the epidemiology of meningococcal disease in the region, we also analyse the development and potential impact of new vaccines on the prevention of meningococcal disease. METHODS: MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS and websites of the national Ministries of Health databases were searched using the terms meningococcal disease, meningococcal epidemiology, Neisseria meningitidis, meningococcal vaccines and the name of Latin America countries, from 1998 to 2008, with emphasis on review articles, clinical trials and epidemiological studies. RESULTS: Epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Latin America is characterized by marked differences from country to country. The overall incidence of meningococcal disease per year varied from less than 0.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in countries like Mexico to two cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil. The highest age-specific incidence of meningococcal disease occurred in infants less than 1 year of age. Serogroups B and C were responsible for the majority of cases reported, but the emergence of serogroups W135 and Y was reported in some countries. Serogroup A disease is now rare in Latin America. DISCUSSION: Although a few countries have established meningitis surveillance programs, the information is not uniform, and the quality of the reported data is poor in the majority of the region. The availability of new effective meningococcal conjugate vaccines and promising protein-based vaccine candidates against meningococcus B highlights the importance of a better understanding of the true burden of meningococcal disease in Latin America and also the need for cost-effectiveness studies before incorporating the new meningococcal vaccines to national immunization programs.
OBJECTIVE:Meningococcal disease continues to be a serious public health concern, being associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in many countries from Latin America. In addition to discussing recent changes in the epidemiology of meningococcal disease in the region, we also analyse the development and potential impact of new vaccines on the prevention of meningococcal disease. METHODS: MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS and websites of the national Ministries of Health databases were searched using the terms meningococcal disease, meningococcal epidemiology, Neisseria meningitidis, meningococcal vaccines and the name of Latin America countries, from 1998 to 2008, with emphasis on review articles, clinical trials and epidemiological studies. RESULTS: Epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Latin America is characterized by marked differences from country to country. The overall incidence of meningococcal disease per year varied from less than 0.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in countries like Mexico to two cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil. The highest age-specific incidence of meningococcal disease occurred in infants less than 1 year of age. Serogroups B and C were responsible for the majority of cases reported, but the emergence of serogroups W135 and Y was reported in some countries. Serogroup A disease is now rare in Latin America. DISCUSSION: Although a few countries have established meningitis surveillance programs, the information is not uniform, and the quality of the reported data is poor in the majority of the region. The availability of new effective meningococcal conjugate vaccines and promising protein-based vaccine candidates against meningococcus B highlights the importance of a better understanding of the true burden of meningococcal disease in Latin America and also the need for cost-effectiveness studies before incorporating the new meningococcal vaccines to national immunization programs.
Authors: Giannina Izquierdo; Juan Pablo Torres; M Elena Santolaya; M Teresa Valenzuela; Jeannette Vega; May Chomali Journal: Hum Vaccin Immunother Date: 2015 Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Enrique Chacon-Cruz; Luz Elena Espinosa-De Los Monteros; Samuel Navarro-Alvarez; Jose Luis Aranda-Lozano; Maria Luisa Volker-Soberanes; Rosa Maria Rivas-Landeros; Ariadna Annete Alvelais-Arzamendi; Julio Alberto Vazquez Journal: Ther Adv Vaccines Date: 2014-05
Authors: Enrique Chacon-Cruz; Cesar Adrian Martinez-Longoria; Eduardo Llausas-Magana; Antonio Luevanos-Velazquez; Jorge Alejandro Vazquez-Narvaez; Sandra Beltran; Ana Elena Limon-Rojas; Fernando Urtiz-Jeronimo; Jose Luis Castaneda-Narvaez; Francisco Otero-Mendoza; Fernando Aguilar-Del Real; Jesus Rodriguez-Chagoyan; Rosa Maria Rivas-Landeros; Maria Luisa Volker-Soberanes; Rosa Maria Hinojosa-Robles; Patricia Arzate-Barbosa; Laura Karina Aviles-Benitez; Fernando Ivan Elenes-Zamora; Chandra M Becka; Ricardo Ruttimann Journal: Ther Adv Vaccines Date: 2016-01-01
Authors: Ana Belén Ibarz-Pavón; Ana Paula Lemos; Maria Cecilia Gorla; Mabel Regueira; Jean-Marc Gabastou Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-08-30 Impact factor: 3.240