The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today that it is monitoring reports from three countries of invasive meningococcal disease linked to Saudi Arabia travel.
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Nearly all cases are in patients who performed the Umrah pilgrimage while in Saudi Arabia, and most cases belong to serogroup W and involve no history of meningococcus vaccination, the ECDC said in a statement.
Invasive meningococcal disease can be severe and has a high fatality rate. Symptoms can include sepsis and meningitis and can progress rapidly without medical support and prompt antibiotic treatment. The infections are most common in young children, adolescents, and young adults.
So far, 12 cases have been reported in France (4), the United Kingdom (3), and the United States (5). Genetic sequencing suggests that some of the cases form a very tight subcluster, which supports an epidemiologic link.
The ECDC said the risk is low for the general public and pilgrims to the Umrah and Hajj who are vaccinated against meningococcal disease. It added that the risk is moderate for unvaccinated pilgrims.
Chicago reports rise in cases, but no common exposures
Separately, the Chicago Department of Public Health this week said it is monitoring an increase in invasive meningococcal disease cases since January 2023. The city typically averages 1 to 3 cases a year, but recorded 7 in 2023 and 8 so far for 2024. Of this year's patients, all had bloodstream infections, and 4 people died.
So far, no common exposures have been identified among the cases. The health department urged city residents to be vigilant for symptoms and to ensure that adolescents are vaccinated and to talk to their healthcare providers about meningococcal vaccines.
The CDPH said Chicago's cases are similar to national trends. In late March, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory about a rise in cases, mainly due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y.