Meningococcal carrier state in primary school children, in a rural area: factors affecting and antibiotics for eradication

ABSTRACT

A survey of meningococcal carrier rate was conducted in El-Batanoon village, Monoufia Governorate, on 269 primary school children [183 males and 96 females], aged between 8 and 12 years. Those children were classroom contacts to five cases of N. meningitidis. Carrier rate among home contacts of these cases was claimed to be zero by MOH. The carrier rate among school contacts was found to be 15.15%. The highest percentage of carrier rate was from the age of 8-10 years [68.6% in males and 67.27% in females]; 63.64% of the carriers suffered from upper respiratory tract infection. The bad aeration and overcrowding of the classrooms were found to be factors related to the high carrier rate. The predominant serogroup was A [51.75%]. The most effective antibiotic used in eradicating nasopharyngeal carrier was rifampin [92%] followed by chloramphenicol [68%]