title: Upper respiratory tract infection, heterologous immunisation and meningococcal disease.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that an episode of upper respiratory tract infection or heterologous immunisation is a predisposing factor for the occurrence of meningococcal disease, data from 377 cases of meningococcal disease and their household contacts (n = 1124) were analysed by conditional logistic regression analysis with stratification for household. The odds ratio for a recent upper respiratory tract infection for patients versus household contacts, adjusted for age and the presence of an underlying predisposing disease, was 2.8 and that for recent heterologous immunisation 1.0. These results support previous observations regarding the association between a preceding upper respiratory tract infection and the occurrence of meningococcal disease; however, no association was found between preceding heterologous immunisation and meningococcal disease. Therefore, increased alertness after heterologous immunisation does not seem warranted.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: R J P M
authors.initials: RJPM
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.affiliation: Hospital 'Bronovo', The Hague, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bijlmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tobi
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, WHO Collaborating Centre, University of Amsterdam/National Institute for Public Health and Environmental Protection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dankert
authors.affiliation: Hospital 'Bronovo', The Hague, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.|Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bouter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines