title: Prevalence of meningococcal carriage in children and adolescents aged 10-19 years in Chile in 2013.
abstract: In 2011, Chile experienced an increase in the number of cases of IMD caused by Neisseria meningitidis group W. This epidemiological scenario prompted authorities to implement prevention strategies. As part of these strategies, the Institute of Public Heath of Chile conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of pharyngeal carriage of N. meningitidis in a representative sample of healthy children and adolescents aged 10-19 years. The identification of presumptive N. meningitidis strains was performed by testing carbohydrate utilization in the National Reference Laboratory at the ISP. Association of meningococcal carriage with risk factors was analyzed by calculating the Odds Ratio. Selected variables were included in a logistic model for risk analyses. The prevalence of carriage of N. meningitidis was 6.5% (CI: 5.7-7.3%). Older age (carriers: 14.2±0.29 vs. non-carriers: 13.8±0.08 years old; p=0.009), cohabitation with children (carriers: 0.9±0.13 vs. non-carriers: 0.7±0.03; p=0.028), number of smoking cohabitants (carriers: 0.55±0.13 vs. non-carriers: 0.44±0.03) and frequent attendance to crowded social venues (carriers: 49% vs. non-carriers: 37%; p=0.008) were determined to favor carriage. Statistical modeling showed that meningococcal carriage was associated with older age (OR: 1.077, p-value: 0.002) and cohabitation with children (OR: 1.182, p-value: 0.02).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: jdiaz@ispch.cl.
authors.forename: Janepsy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cárcamo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Laboratorio Biomédico Nacional de Referencia, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Mabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seoane
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Laboratorio Biomédico Nacional de Referencia, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pidal
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavada
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puentes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Solana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terrazas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Laboratorio Biomédico Nacional de Referencia, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.affiliation: Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ibarz-Pavon
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manríquez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Laboratorio Biomédico Nacional de Referencia, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hormazábal
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Asuntos Científicos, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: María T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IMD; Meningococcal carriage; Multivariate logistic regression; Neisseria meningitidis; Prevalence; Risk factors