Folaranmi TA et al. – The current study reviewed the epidemiology and risk of meningococcal disease among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The authors concluded that risk of meningococcal disease is higher in MSM, and HIV infection may be an important risk factor for this. Routine vaccination with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine in HIV–infected persons in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices should be encouraged.

Methods

• All cases of men with meningococcal disease who reported to National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System between January 2012 and June 2015 were reviewed.

Results

• 74 of MSM and 453 of non–MSM patients had meningococcal disease.
• Annualized incidence of meningococcal disease was 0.56 versus 0.14 cases per 100,000 population among MSM and non–MSM, respectively.
• Among the 64 MSM with known status, 38 had HIV.
• HIV–infected MSM had 10.1 times the risk of acquiring meningococcal disease than HIV–uninfected MSM.