Meningococcal disease in India, 2005–2011: A Surveillance Study

Aims & Objectives: Meningococcal disease is known to cause varying clinical prognosis ranging from asymptomatic to fatal infection. Factors contributing to the two conditions are unknown. Limited data available on meningococcal disease from India, prompted us to carry out the present surveillance study from hospitals in India during 2005–2011. Data from the different districts was obtained from the IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Project), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Samples were diagnosed for meningococcal meningitis using microscopy of CSF and latex agglutination. Results: The percentage positivity of the samples rose from nil to 13.6% in 2005, reached a maximum of 18.2% in 2006, declined to 15.7% in 2007, 11.6% in 2008 and finally came down to 4.4% by November 2009, 1.6% in 2010 and 1.5% in 2011. In the samples comprising both CSF and blood (for culture and/ or serology), positivity rate was much higher ranging from 20% to 30.5%, when compared with single samples like CSF alone (positivity 17.6 to 24.9%) or blood alone (positivity 5.3% to 10.5%) during the peak epidemic period (2005–2007). Interpretation: Using sample combinations like CSF and blood (for culture and/or serology), we were able to pick larger number of samples who were meningococcal disease positive as compared to the cases where single samples of CSF or blood were obtained.