title: [Methods for analyzing the frequency, prevalence and the duration of asymptomatic carriage of Neisseria meningitidis. Longitudinal study of a school population in Belgium].
abstract: In Belgium, during an outbreak of meningococcal disease mainly due to serogroup B, serotype 2 meningococcus, a prospective study of asymptomatic carriage was undertaken in two primary schools. From march 1975 to may 1976, 361 schoolchildren aged 3 to 14 years were surveyed. The result of nasopharyngeal cultures were adjusted to compensate the lack of sensitivity and specificity of the identification techniques. The hypotheses on which the adjustment rules are based were statistically validated. The mean prevalence of meningococcal carriage was 23 p. 100, the incidence rate was 0.02 acquisition for month and for person. The median duration of carriage was estimated at 9.4 months, and the mean duration at 13.6 months. For the first time, the expected relationship between prevalence, incidence, and duration was confirmed for meningococcal carriage.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors
vernacular_title: Méthodes pour l'analyse de l'incidence, la prévalence et la durée du portage asymptomatique de Neisseria meningitidis. Etude longitudinale dans une population scolaire en Belgique.