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

Abstract

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.