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Serogroup B Meningococcus Outbreaks, Prevalence, and the Case for Standard Vaccination

  • Neurological Infections (J Lyons, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Infectious Disease Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review explores the history of serogroup B meningitis outbreaks in American universities and the rise of the monovalent serogroup B meningococcus vaccines (MenB).

Recent Findings

Serogroup B meningitis represents 30% of American meningococcal infections and had no commercially available vaccine in the USA until 2013 when the FDA made an expanded allowance for importation of the MenB-4C vaccine for outbreaks at two American universities.

Summary

Infections of Neisseria meningitidis, notably meningococcal meningitis represent a continued, lethal threat to the pediatric and adolescent populations and those with primary or acquired complement component deficiencies, largely mitigated by the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugated vaccine against serogroups A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY).

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, School of Medicine, 340 W 10th St #6200, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    James Grogan & Karen Roos

Authors
  1. James Grogan
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  2. Karen Roos
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Correspondence to James Grogan.

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Dr. Grogan and Dr. Roos both declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Neurological Infections

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Grogan, J., Roos, K. Serogroup B Meningococcus Outbreaks, Prevalence, and the Case for Standard Vaccination. Curr Infect Dis Rep 19, 30 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-017-0587-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-017-0587-4

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