Hospital-based Meningococcal Disease Epidemiology over 2006-2010 in Delhi, India

Meningococcal disease is a low endemic infection in Delhi and its outbreaks re-emerge in irregular cyclical fashion. The morbidity and mortality due to it, is not reflective of the population level disease burden as most of the data is based on reports from the different hospitals of Delhi. The reported data was analyzed for the period 2006-2010 from public and private hospitals located in Delhi. The aggregate caseload has reduced markedly over five years period since 2006 though the case fatality rate was comparatively higher in 2009 (16.8%). Maximum cases occurred in males of the agegroup 10-45 years. The Central, South and West zones of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been most vulnerable and affected. The usual emergence period for cases is between November and December which continues till June with a peak in the month of March every year. There is a need to take pre-emptive prevention and control measures in the preceding months; in the high risk zones of Delhi at the outset of any imminent outbreak of the disease; along with strengthening of the surveillance.