title: Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the North American Arctic, 2000-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the North American Arctic during 2000-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveillance data were obtained from the International Circumpolar Surveillance network. We defined a case of bacterial meningitis caused by H. influenzae, N. meningitidis, or S. pneumoniae as a culture-positive isolate obtained from a normally sterile site in a resident with a meningitis diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual incidence/100,000 persons for meningitis caused by H. influenzae, N. meningitidis, and S. pneumoniae among all North American Arctic residents was: 0.6, 0.5, and 1.5, respectively; the meningitis incidence among indigenous persons in Alaska and Canada (indigenous status not recorded in Greenland) for those three bacteria was: 2.1, 0.8, and 2.4, respectively. The percentage of pneumococcal isolates belonging to a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotype declined from 2000-2004 to 2005-2010 (31%-2%, p-value <0.01). During 2005-2010, serotype a caused 55% of H. influenzae meningitis and serogroup B caused 86% of meningococcal meningitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with all North American Arctic residents, indigenous people suffer disproportionately from bacterial meningitis. Arctic residents could benefit from the development of an H. influenzae serotype a vaccine and implementation of a meningococcal serogroup B vaccine.
authors: Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, AK, USA. Electronic address: pgounder@cdc.gov.
authors: Prabhu P
authors: PP
authors: Gounder
authors: Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, AK, USA.
authors: Tammy
authors: T
authors: Zulz
authors: Center for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
authors: Shalini
authors: S
authors: Desai
authors: The National Board of Health, Government of Greenland, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland.
authors: Flemming
authors: F
authors: Stenz
authors: Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, AK, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Rudolph
authors: National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Tsang
authors: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Walter Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Gregory J
authors: GJ
authors: Tyrrell
authors: Arctic Investigations Program, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, AK, USA.
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Bruce
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001110:Arctic Regions / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bacterial meningitis; Epidemiology; Haemophilus influenzae; Neisseria meningitidis; Streptococcus pneumoniae