Influence of serogroup on the presentation, course, and outcome of invasive meningococcal disease in children in the Republic of Ireland, 1995-2000

To test the hypothesis that the infecting meningococcal serogroup modulates the presentation, course, and outcome of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), we performed a retrospective review of cases of IMD in 407 children from 2 tertiary referral centers and 2 regional centers in Ireland. Patients infected with serogroup C meningococci (n = 104) were older than those infected with serogroup B (n = 303; median, 2.5 vs. 1.5 years; P = .04); all other demographic and clinical parameters were similar for the 2 groups. Among serogroup B patients, mortality was 3.6% and morbidity was 10%; for serogroup C patients, mortality was 4.8% and morbidity was 12.5% (P = .81 and P = .76, respectively). Serogroup C-associated sequelae more often were multiple (P = .003). Despite the introduction of serogroup C conjugate vaccine into the routine immunization schedule of some countries, ongoing morbidity from IMD is anticipated, because group B disease was very similar to group C disease in this pediatric population.