People at Risk
Image for Representation Purpose Only
Risk of meningococcal meningitis affects all types of people.2,7,12,13 Infants (younger than 1 year old) are the most at risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis, particularly due to their immature immune systems, followed by children under 5 years of age.7,8,13
Infants younger than 1-year-old and children younger than 5 years are most at risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis, followed by a peak in teens.7,8,12
Up to 24% of 19-year-olds adolescents carry the bacteria without having any symptoms.23 In 2018, serogroups C, Y, or W caused approximately 1 in 2 cases of meningococcal meningitis among persons 11 years old or older.12
Meningococcal Meningitis may result in permanent long-term disabilities in adolescents and adults:7,10,11
Globally, the highest rates of disease are happening in the ‘meningococcal meningitis belt’ of sub-Saharan Africa. There have also been outbreaks of meningococcal disease linked to Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage.24
The Hajj
The gathering of more than 2 million Muslims may potentially cause meningococcal meningitis spreading internationally, causing outbreaks in several countries associated with pilgrims returning from the Hajj; therefore, the current applied vaccination protocols are needed.25
Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection in older adults, with death rates averaging >20%, despite modern antibiotic treatment.26
This increased risk of meningococcal meningitis in older adults is likely due to the declining immune function brought by aging and other diseases such as, pneumonia, diabetes, renal or hepatic failure, or other chronic conditions.26
References
ECDC. Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases. 2018. Available from: https://atlas.ecdc.europa.eu/public/index.aspx. Accessed 30 November 2020.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). World Meningitis Day 2019 - Life After Meningitis, 2019. NCDC website. https://ncdc.gov.ng/news/177/world-meningitis-day---2019-life-after-meningitis#:
~:text=Globally2%C20%Meningitis20%aects20%about202.8%, are20%currently20%aected20% in20%Nigeria. Accessed 25 February 2021.
