New research has revealed a shift in the strains of invasive meningococcal disease circulating in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study examined cases of the disease in Scotland before, during and after the pandemic.
Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis, with infants and young children, teenagers and young adults, and people aged over 65 remaining among the highest-risk groups.
It found that while the pandemic did not change who was most affected by the disease, the strains causing disease did.
Genomic surveillance
During the pandemic, group B meningococcal disease became the only cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Scotland, while other strains, including group W and group C, declined. Four years on, the pattern of strains has moved back towards its pre-pandemic profile, but from a new baseline.
The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, underlines the importance of genomic surveillance in informing public health protection and vaccine strategy.
Dr Shaun Keegan, Research Fellow in Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and a co-author of the study, said: “Meningococcal disease is rare, but it can be very serious and its patterns can change quickly.
This study shows why genomic surveillance is so important: it helps us understand which strains are circulating, how that changes over time, and how public health and vaccine strategies can respond.
The research comes amid renewed attention on meningococcal disease and vaccination, including the use of MenB vaccines for groups at increased risk.
The University is currently supporting the roll-out of a MenB vaccination programme for first-year undergraduate students, with vaccine clinics available on campus until the end of September for those who are eligible.
The research was led by Dr Charlene Rodrigues of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in collaboration with Public Health Scotland and colleagues across Scottish and UK healthcare.