[Epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during 1996 and 2007].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of meningococcal meningitis and provide evidences for disease control.

METHOD: The method of descriptive epidemiology has been used to analyze the data collected.

RESULTS

A total of 419 cases were reported with meningococcal meningitis between 1996-2007, annual incidence rate was 0.07/100,000. 68 cases were dead and mortatity was 16.23% . Highly sporadic distribution by areas was observed in the cases reported. And the incidence peak was between January and April. The aged was mainly at 0-9 years There was trace that the incidence move to aged at 10 19 years old in recent years. The in-cidence rate was higher in male than that in female. And it was mainly attacked in peasants, students and children left-behined at home. Outbreaks had occasionally occurred in Guangxi. The first outbreak caused by Neisseria meningitidis group C in China was reported. The strains isola-ted mainly were with Neisseria meningitidis group A, which accounting for 61.53% of the strains,followed by group C(15. 38%)and Group B (7.69%). Group A was found to be 100% re-sistant to SMZ-TMP,and both group C and B were 100% resistant to sulfanilamide. 1.28% the prevalence of carrier was confirmed by the throat swabs. The positive rate of titer to group A and C were 29. 95o and 21. 720 respectively, and the mean titers were 4.57 microg/ml and 1.70 microg/ml re-spectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The characteristics of Meningococcal meningitis are summarized as low incidence,high mortabity,highly sporadic distribution, grouping diversity and increasing incidence in older population. Comprehensive measures with the priority of vaccination is the key measure for meningococcal meningitis control.