The Prevalence and Serogroup Analysis of Nasopharyngeal Meningococcal Carriage in Turkish Citizens Living in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands During Their Visits to Turkey

Öz

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epidemiological studies in Turkey have shown that serogroups B and W are the most prevalent serogroups associated with IMD cases and meningococcal carriage. Many Turkish citizens who live in Europe visit their homeland of Turkey every year. However, no data is available on meningococcal carriage in this population. In addition, the effects of the presence of these citizens on meningococcal epidemiology in Turkey are unknown. This study aimed to examine the presence of Neisseria meningitidis carriage and serogroup distribution in Turkish citizens who live in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands and have visited Turkey. The study sample comprised 361 volunteers aged 2–85 who lived in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands and arrived at the Eskisehir airport between June 1 and August 22, 2016. A polymerase chain reaction assay for N. meningitidis was performed on the nasopharyngeal samples of these participants. Of the 361 volunteers, the nasopharyngeal meningococcal carriage rate was 0.6% (two subjects from Belgium). Serogroup X was isolated in a 46-year-old man, and non-groupable N. meningitidis was isolated in an 18-year-old girl. Previous studies showed that serogroup W is the one of the predominant strain in Turkey, was associated with having participated in the Hajj and the Umrah, have been controlled with routine immunization before travel. In contrast, the meningococcal carriage rate was low among Turkish citizens arriving each year from European countries; therefore, these visitors had no effect on meningococcal seroepidemiology in Turkey.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Neisseria meningitidis
• meningococci
• meningococcal disease
• carriage
• Turkey

Belçika, Almanya ve Hollanda'da Yaşayan Türk Vatandaşlarının Türkiye'ye Seyahatleri Sırasında Nazofaringeal Meningokokkal Taşıyıcılık Prevalansı ve Serogrup Dağılımı

Öz

İnvaziv meningokok enfeksiyonları, tüm dünyada önemli morbidite ve mortalite nedenleri arasında yer almaktadır. Türkiye’de yapılan epidemiyolojik çalışmalarda, invaziv meningokok enfeksiyonu ve taşıyıcılık için en sık görülen serogrupların B ve W olduğu gösterilmiştir. Avrupa’da yaşayan birçok Türk vatandaşı her yıl Türkiye’yi ziyarete gelmektedir. Ancak bu kişilerde meningokok taşıyıcılığı ile ilgili çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Buna ek olarak, bu taşıyıcılığın, Türkiye’de meningokok epidemiyolojisi üzerine etkisi ile ilgili de veri bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Almanya, Belçika ve Hollanda’da yaşayan ve Türkiye’ye ziyarete gelenlerde, Neisseria meningitidis taşıyıcılığı ve serogrup dağılımının değerlendirilmesi planlandı. Çalışmaya 1 Haziran- 22 Ağustos 2016 tarihleri arasında Almanya, Belçika ve Hollanda’dan Eskişehir Havalimanı’na gelen 2-85 yaş arasında 361 gönüllü dahil edildi. Nazofaringeal örneklerde N. meningitidis polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu ile değerlendirildi. Çalışmaya dahil edilen 361 gönüllüde, meningokok taşıyıcılığı %0.6 (Belçika’dan gelen iki olguda) olarak saptandı. 46 yaşında bir erkekte serogrup X, 18 yaşında bir kadında da gruplandırılamayan N. meningitidis saptandı. Daha önceki çalışmalarda serogrup W, Türkiye’de en sık saptanan etkenlerden biri olup, Hac ve Umre ile ilişkili olduğu düşünülmüştür ve seyahat öncesi rutin aşılama ile kontrol altına alınmıştır. Bunun aksine Avrupa ülkelerinden her yıl Türkiye’ye çok sayıda Türk vatandaşı gelmesine rağmen, bu çalışmada bu ziyaretçilerin Türkiye’de meningokok seroepidemiyolojisine etkisi saptanmamıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Neisseria meningitidis
• meningokok
• meningokokkal hastalık
• taşıyıcılık
• Türkiye

Kaynakça

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