title: Presentation with gastrointestinal symptoms and high case fatality associated with group W meningococcal disease (MenW) in teenagers, England, July 2015 to January 2016.
abstract: Atypical clinical presentations associated with group W meningococcal disease (MenW) are well-described and include pneumonia, septic arthritis, endocarditis and epiglottitis/supraglottitis. Following anecdotal reports of teenagers presenting with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, we undertook a case review of MenW cases in 15 to 19 year-olds diagnosed in England between July 2015 and January 2016. Of the 15 cases, seven presented with a short history of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; five of these seven cases died within 24 hours of presentation to hospital.
authors.affiliation: Immunisation Department, Public Health England, London United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Sydel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaczmarski
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: Shamez N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ladhani
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D004739:England; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IMD; MenW disease; diarrhoea; gastroenteritis; invasive meningococcal disease