title: [Paediatric meningococcal meningitis in France: ACTIV/GPIP network results].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The GPIP/ACTIV (Groupe de Pathologie Infectieuse Pédiatrique and Association Clinique et Thérapeutique Infantile du Val de Marne) set up an active surveillance network to analyze the epidemiological, clinical and biological features of meningococcal meningitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  French pediatric wards working with 166 microbiology laboratories enrolled all children (0-18 years old) with bacterial meningitis. Risk factors, signs and symptoms, vaccination status, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, treatments and case fatality rate were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since 2001, 1661 meningococcal meningitis were reported among 3769 (44.1%) bacterial meningitis. Mean age was 4.4- year- old (± 4.8, median 2.5) and 2/3 cases occurred in children under 5- year- old (68.8%). Serogroup B (61.3%) is preponderant following by serogroup C (27.0%). 27.5% of children had received an antibiotic treatment 24 hours before lumbar puncture. A shock is reported in 31.0% of cases. No cases of meningococcal meningitis C has been reported in children vaccinated with a conjugate vaccine. Two children vaccinated with MenBvac(®) vaccine had a meningitis B14:P1.7,16. Global case fatality rate was 6.5% but was higher (9.2%) for serogroup C than for serogroup B (5.9%) (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is among the largest series of microbiologically documented meningococcal meningitis to date (1661 cases). In France, meningococcal is responsible for approximately 50 % of meningitis. Effective meningococcal serogroup B vaccine and serogroup C vaccination recommendation could control the burden of meningococcal meningitis.
authors.affiliation: GPIP-Groupe de Pathologie Infectieuse Pédiatrique de la SFP-Société Française de Pédiatrie, France. activ@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bingen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000472:pathogenicity; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012307:Risk Factors; D012703:Serotyping; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate