title: Epidemiology of infant meningococcal disease in the United States, 2006-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of meningococcal disease is currently at historic lows in the United States; however, incidence remains highest among infants aged <1 year. With routine use of Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal vaccines in infants and children in the United States, Neisseria meningitidis remains an important cause of bacterial meningitis in young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from active, population- and laboratory-based surveillance for N meningitidis conducted through Active Bacterial Core surveillance during 2006 through 2012. Expanded data collection forms were completed for infant cases identified in the surveillance area during 2006 through 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 113 cases of culture-confirmed meningococcal disease occurred annually among infants aged <1 year in the United States from 2006 through 2012, for an overall incidence of 2.74 per 100,000 infants. Among these cases, an estimated 6 deaths occurred. Serogroup B was responsible for 64%, serogroup C for 12%, and serogroup Y for 16% of infant cases. Based on the expanded data collection forms, a high proportion of infant cases (36/58, 62%) had a smoker in the household and the socioeconomic status of the census tracts where infant meningococcal cases resided was lower compared with the other Active Bacterial Core surveillance areas and the United States as a whole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The burden of meningococcal disease remains highest in young infants and serogroup B predominates. Vaccines that provide long-term protection early in life have the potential to reduce the burden of meningococcal disease, especially if they provide protection against serogroup B meningococcal disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; jmacneil@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: MacNeil
authors.affiliation: New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York;
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Monica M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Farley
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland;
authors.forename: Lee H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Department of Health, St Paul, Minnesota;
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lynfield
authors.affiliation: New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
authors.forename: Megin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.affiliation: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, Connecticut;
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California;
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reingold
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee; and.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.affiliation: Oregon Department of Human Services, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pondo
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Leonard W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;
authors.forename: Amanda C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cohn
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000472:pathogenicity; D038581:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup Y / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines
keywords: Neisseria meningitidis; United States; epidemiology; infants; vaccine-preventable diseases