Meningococcemia epidemiology and demographics


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief:

Epidemiology and Demographics

 * Case rate is 1-2 per 100,000 in the US in 1980. More recently, there are approximately 2,500 cases of meningococcal infections per year in the United States.
 * Since the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine in 1990 for infants the majority of cases of bacterial meningitis have been in adults; historically 45-87% of cases have been in children.
 * Second most common cause of community-acquired adult bacterial meningitis after pneumococcus.
 * In West African countries during 1996-1997 there were 213,658 cases and 21,830 deaths due to menigococcal disease.