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SUMMARY:The epidemiology and control of meningococcal disease in the UK an
 d Africa - Dr Caroline Trotter\, School of Social and Community Medicine\,
  University of Bristol
DTSTART:20120718T153000Z
DTEND:20120718T163000Z
UID:TALK38688@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Suzy Blows
DESCRIPTION:Neisseria meningitidis \, the meningococcus\, is part of the n
 ormal flora of the human nasopharynx yet is an important cause of morbidit
 y and mortality worldwide. The key to reducing incidence is prevention thr
 ough vaccination\, because early signs of meningococcal meningitis and sep
 ticaemia  can be non-distinct\, the infection can progress rapidly\, and c
 an be fatal in 5-10% of cases even if treatment is initiated early. Global
 ly six capsular groups - A\, B\, C\, W135\, Y and increasingly X - cause m
 ost disease. In the UK\, the annual incidence of meningococcal meningitis 
 and septicaemia is currently around 2 per 100\,000\, largely due to serogr
 oup B\, following the successful introduction of serogroup C conjugate vac
 cines in 1999. New vaccines with the capacity to prevent group B disease a
 re in late stages of development and decisions about whether and how to in
 troduce them will need to be made soon.  In Africa the ‘meningitis belt
 ’ stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia. Here\, epidemics of meningococcal 
 meningitis occur periodically though unpredictably in the dry season\, wit
 h local weekly attack rates up to 1000 per 100\,000.  A new serogroup A co
 njugate vaccine being rolled out across the region offers new hope for pre
 vention.  In this talk I will contrast the epidemiology of meningococcal c
 arriage and disease in the UK and Africa and discuss the design and evalua
 tion of vaccine strategies. I will draw on some of my own research\, which
  includes mathematical modelling\, seroprevalence and carriage studies. 
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre 1\, Department of Veterinary Medicine
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