The burden of hospitalizations for meningococcal infection in Spain (1997-2008).

All hospital discharges and deaths related to invasive meningococcal disease, meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia in the general population from 1997 to 2008 in Spain were obtained. Among the 11,611 meningococcal infection related discharges 53% were meningococcal meningitis and 55% were meningococcemia. The annual hospitalization rate was 2.33, 1.23 and 1.29 cases per 100,000 for invasive meningococcal disease, meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia, respectively. 846 deaths for invasive meningococcal disease, 235 for meningococcal meningitis and 605 for meningococcemia were reported. Although an important decrease in meningococcal infections related morbidity and mortality has occurred in the last twelve years in Spain, they still continue being major causes of hospitalization and death, especially in the children up to 2 years of age. Future preventive measures, such as vaccination with vaccines covering new conjugated serogroups (B and ACYW135), could further improve population health.