Headlines - Meningococcal C Infections Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Île-de-France Region

Three cases of invasive meningococcal C (IMC) infections occurred between June 13 and 20, 2013, among men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the Ile-de-France region. The three cases are aged 21, 29, and 45. For two of them, attendance at gay social venues in the days preceding hospitalization was reported, but to date, no common venue or contact has been identified. The strains isolated from the three cases are of the same phenotype C:2a:P1-5. Additional molecular analyses are underway to compare the strains’ profiles in greater detail.

An increase in the incidence of IIM C has been observed in France since 2010, particularly among children under 1 year of age and adults aged 25 and older. Furthermore, an IIM C outbreak was observed between 2010 and February 2013 among MSM in New York City, with a total of 22 cases reported. More than half of the cases involved MSM infected with HIV. Since the vaccination recommendation for MSM in October 2012, there have been no further cases in this population in the city since February 15, 2013. Preliminary analyses of the strains from the three French cases suggest a similarity to the strains from the New York outbreak.

Furthermore, in 2013, three cases of MIM C occurred among MSM in Germany (February and May), and one case was also identified in Belgium (March).

The introduction of an epidemic meningococcal C strain into the community frequenting gay social venues in the Paris region could lead to an outbreak among this population. Several gay community gatherings are planned for this summer, particularly in various French cities. In this context, following the alert issued to health authorities by the InVS, the High Council for Public Health issued an advisory on preventive measures to be implemented on July 1, 2013¹. The current vaccination schedule recommends vaccination against meningococcal C for everyone aged 1 to 24. In the aforementioned context, it is particularly recommended that MSM in this age group get vaccinated. Vaccination is also recommended during the summer months for MSM over 24 who:

• live in the Île-de-France region and frequent Parisian gay social venues or meeting places;

• reside in France and plan to attend a gay gathering organized within the country or in Europe.

1http://www.hcsp.fr/Explore.cgi/avisrapportsdomaine?clefr=356