From the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women's and Children's Health Network.
School of Public Health, University of Adelaide.
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2022 Nov 1;41(11):e468-e474. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003660. Epub 2022 Jul 27.
To examine if COVID-19 containment strategies were associated with reduced pharyngeal carriage of meningococci in adolescents. Also, to observe if carriage prevalence of meningococcal A, C, W and Y differed in meningococcal conjugate ACWY vaccinated and unvaccinated adolescents.
Repeat cross-sectional study of pharyngeal carriage.
In 2020, recruitment commenced from February to March (pre-COVID-19) and recommenced from August to September (during COVID-19 measures) in South Australia.
Eligible participants were between 17 and 25 years of age and completed secondary school in South Australia in 2019.
A total of 1338 school leavers were enrolled in 2020, with a mean age of 18.6 years (standard deviation 0.6). Pharyngeal carriage of disease-associated meningococci was higher during the COVID-19 period compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (41/600 [6.83%] vs. 27/738 [3.66%]; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.03; 95% CI: 1.22-3.39; P = 0.01). Nongroupable carriage decreased during COVID period (1.67% vs. 3.79%; aOR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22-0.95). Pharyngeal carriage of groups A, C, W and Y was similar among school leavers vaccinated with meningococcal conjugate ACWY (7/257 [2.72%]) compared with those unvaccinated (29/1081 [2.68%]; aOR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.37-2.02; P = 0.73). Clonal complex 41/44 predominated in both periods.
Meningococcal carriage prevalence was not impacted by public health strategies to reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission and is unlikely to be the mechanism for lower meningococcal disease incidence. As international travel resumes and influenza recirculates, clinicians must remain vigilant for signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease. Vaccinating people at the highest risk of invasive meningococcal disease remains crucial despite containment strategies.
研究 COVID-19 防控策略是否与青少年咽拭子中脑膜炎奈瑟菌携带率降低有关。此外，观察脑膜炎奈瑟菌 A、C、W 和 Y 型在接种和未接种脑膜炎球菌结合物 ACWY 的青少年中的携带率是否存在差异。
咽拭子携带的重复横断面研究。
2020 年，招募工作于 2 月至 3 月（COVID-19 前）和 8 月至 9 月（COVID-19 措施期间）在南澳大利亚开始。
符合条件的参与者年龄在 17 至 25 岁之间，2019 年在南澳大利亚完成中学学业。
2020 年共招募了 1338 名离校生，平均年龄为 18.6 岁（标准差 0.6）。与 COVID-19 前相比，COVID-19 期间与疾病相关的脑膜炎奈瑟菌的咽拭子携带率更高（41/600[6.83%]比 27/738[3.66%]；调整后的优势比[aOR]，2.03；95%可信区间：1.22-3.39；P=0.01）。非分组携带在 COVID 期间下降（1.67%比 3.79%；aOR，0.45；95%可信区间：0.22-0.95）。接种脑膜炎球菌结合物 ACWY 的离校生中 A、C、W 和 Y 组的咽拭子携带率与未接种的相似（7/257[2.72%]比 29/1081[2.68%]；aOR，0.86；95%可信区间：0.37-2.02；P=0.73）。在两个时期，主要流行株均为 41/44 克隆复合体。
公共卫生策略降低严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2 传播率并未影响脑膜炎奈瑟菌的携带率，也不太可能是脑膜炎奈瑟菌发病率降低的机制。随着国际旅行的恢复和流感的再次流行，临床医生必须对脑膜炎奈瑟菌病的症状和体征保持警惕。尽管采取了防控措施，对侵袭性脑膜炎奈瑟菌病风险最高的人群进行疫苗接种仍然至关重要。
