Rev Esp Quimioter 2024, March 22
Meningococcal meningitis in Spain in the Horizon 2030: A position paper
FERNANDO MORAGA-LLOP, ELENA ANDRADAS, LUIS CARLOS BLESA-BAVIERA, RAFAEL CANTÓN, JUAN GONZÁLEZ DEL CASTILLO, FEDERICO MARTINÓN-TORRES, ELENA MOYA, ANTONI TRILLA, JULIO VAZQUEZ, RODOLFO JAVIER VILLENA, JULIÁN RUIZ-GALIANA, PILAR DE LUCAS RAMOS, ALEJANDRA GARCÍA-BOTELLA, ALBERTO GARCÍA-LLEDÓ, TERESA HERNÁNDEZ-SAMPELAYO, JAVIER GÓMEZ-PAVÓN, MARI CRUZ MARTÍN-DELGADO, FRANCISCO JAVIER MARTÍN SÁNCHEZ, MANUEL MARTÍNEZ-SELLÉS, JOSÉ MARÍA MOLERO GARCÍA, SANTIAGO MORENO GUILLÉN, FERNANDO RODRÍGUEZ-ARTALEJO, EMILIO BOUZA
Published: 22 March 2024
http://www.doi.org/10.37201/req/023.2024
Meningococcal meningitis (MM) and invasive meningococcal disease remain a major public health problem that generates enormous public alarm. It is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a Gram-negative diplococcus with an enormous capacity for acute and rapidly progressive disease, both episodic and epidemic in nature, with early diagnosis and treatment playing a major role. It occurs at any age, but is most common in children under 5 years of age followed by adolescents. Although most cases occur in healthy people, the incidence is higher in certain risk groups. Despite advances in reducing the incidence, it is estimated that in 2017 there were around 5 million new cases of MM worldwide, causing approximately 290,000 deaths and a cumulative loss of about 20,000,000 years of healthy life. In Spain, in the 2021/22 season, 108 microbiologically confirmed cases of MM were reported, corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.23 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is a curable and, above all, vaccine-preventable disease, for which the World Health Organisation has drawn up a roadmap with the aim of reducing mortality and sequelae by 2030. For all these reasons, the Illustrious Official College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM) and the Medical Associations of 8 other provinces of Spain, have prepared this opinion document on the situation of MM in Spain and the resources and preparation for the fight against it in our country. The COVID-19 and Emerging Pathogens Committee of ICOMEM has invited experts in the field to participate in the elaboration of this document.
Rev Esp Quimioter 2024; March 22 [Full-text PDF]
