Epidemiology

In the US, rates of invasive meningococcal infection have been declining since the late 1990s to a low of 0.11 cases in 100,000 people during 2015-2017.[7] Most infections are caused by serogroups B, C, and Y.[8][9] Reduced incidence of meningococcal disease has been linked to the introduction of meningococcal conjugate vaccines.[8]

Most infections are sporadic, but about 5% of infections occur as part of outbreaks, caused predominantly by serogroups B, C, and Y.[1] The increasing incidence of serogroup W infections in the US, Europe, and Australia has been associated with a hypervirulent clonal strain.[10]

The highest rates of invasive infection are in children under 5 years of age, especially those under 1 year of age, with a second peak occurring in 11- to 24-year-olds and a third peak in people >65 years of age.[11] Infections in infants and children ages 1-5 are predominantly caused by serogroup B.[11]

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