title: [Epidemiology of the meningococcal disease in Catalonia before and after vaccination against serogroup C].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meningococcal disease remains a serious public health problem worldwide. In Catalonia, after implementing the vaccination program, there has been a significant decrease in cases caused by meningococcus C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reported cases of meningococcal disease between 1997 and 2008 were analyzed to determine the evolution after the introduction of a conjugated vaccine in Catalonia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In < 6 years, the incidence rate of serogroup C fell from 7.6 to 0.6 per 100,000 persons/year in the periods before (1997-2000) and after (2001-2007) the introduction of the conjugate vaccine. In serogroup B, the reduction was from 15.4 to 11.1. In < 20 years case-fatality-rate increased only in serogroup B (3% and 7.4%). Serosubtype P1.15was the most frequent in serogroup B (31%), mainly associated with serotype 4 (80%), and in serogroup C subtype P1.5 (36%), with serotype 2a (86%). During 2008, 5 apparently unrelated cases of B:2a:P1.5 were identified in the same geographic area, with a case-fatality-rate of 80%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exhaustive surveillance of circulating meningococcal strains is essential.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud, Generalitat de Cataluña, Barcelona, España. amartinez@gencat.cat
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oviedo
authors.forename: Sofía
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minguell
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jansà
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Codina
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vázquez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines