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The U.S. CDC issued a health advisory this week, warning about a rising prevalence of invasive meningococcal disease, a rare but fatal infection that can lead to meningitis.
Attributing the recent uptick mainly to the bacteria strain Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y, the CDC said that the U.S. has already reported 143 cases of invasive meningococcal disease this year, having recorded 422 cases last year, the highest annual number since 2014.
The figure marks an increase of 62 cases from the same period last year when 81 cases were reported.
Citing estimates for 2023, the CDC noted that most of the cases were caused by the meningococcal strain, sequence type-1466, with an outsized impact on those aged 30–60 years, black or African American people, and HIV patients.
The invasive meningococcal disease is transmitted through the contact of saliva and spit of an infected individual. It can cause meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, or protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
The CDC advised healthcare providers to ensure that people recommended for meningococcal immunization should receive the latest vaccines against the disease.
In October, the U.S. FDA approved Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) meningococcal disease shot, Penbraya, for adolescents and young adults. The five-in-one vaccine covers the most common serogroups causing meningococcal disease in the age group, including Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y.
Other vaccine makers targeting meningococcal disease include Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) and GSK (NYSE:GSK).