Meningococcal

Meningococcal Disease
Meningococcal disease remains a feared infection, even in the antibiotic era. Its rapid onset in previously healthy individuals and high mortality rate contribute to this fear. Large epidemics of meningoccal disease occur in sub-saharan Africa and it is one of the most important infectious causes of death in the developed world. However, it is caused by a bacterium that lives harmlessly in the nose of 10-30% of the population at any one time. Understanding this commensal/pathogen relationship with man has been a major challenge for scientists. Vaccines to prevent meningococcal disease have been developed over the last 50 years but none is yet available to protect against all types of the disease. However, there has been major progress in the battle against several serogroups of the disease. The UK was the first country to introduce a new vaccine against serogroup C disease from 1999 and this has been a great success. The Gates Foundation and others are funding a new vaccine against serogroup A disease, the predominant type in Africa and this is looking very promising in clinical trials. However, serogroup B disease remains the major cause of disease in UK and other developed countries. There have been several approaches to combating serogroup B disease with vaccines used in large scale trials in Norway, Cuba and New Zealand with some degree of success. A number of novel vaccines are in early phase clinical trials including a vaccine developed at the Health Protection Agency laboratory at Porton Down. The development of this vaccine from first laboratory experiment to a first use in man will be briefly described.

Meningococcal disease remains a feared infection, even in the antibiotic era. Its rapid onset in previously healthy individuals and high mortality rate contribute to this fear.

Large epidemics of meningoccal disease occur in sub-saharan Africa and it is one of the most important infectious causes of death in the developed world. However, it is caused by a bacterium that lives harmlessly in the nose of 10-30% of the population at any one time. Understanding this commensal/pathogen relationship with man has been a major challenge for scientists.

Vaccines to prevent meningococcal disease have been developed over the last 50 years but none is yet available to protect against all types of the disease. However, there has been major progress in the battle against several serogroups of the disease.

The UK was the first country to introduce a new vaccine against serogroup C disease from 1999 and this has been a great success. The Gates Foundation and others are funding a new vaccine against serogroup A disease, the predominant type in Africa and this is looking very promising in clinical trials.

However, serogroup B disease remains the major cause of disease in UK and other developed countries. There have been several approaches to combating serogroup B disease with vaccines used in large scale trials in Norway, Cuba and New Zealand with some degree of success.

A number of novel vaccines are in early phase clinical trials including a vaccine developed at the Health Protection Agency laboratory at Porton Down. The development of this vaccine from first laboratory experiment to a first use in man will be briefly described.