Abstract

Meningococcal meningitis is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. Most clinical infections are caused by group A, B or C. Nasopharyngeal carrier can act as persistent source of infection. Until now the prevalence of meningococcal meningitis in Indonesia is still unknown. The objectives of this study are to obtain data regarding the carrier rate among returning haj pilgrims from Jakarta at embarkation in 1994 and sero groups of N. meningitidis in carriers. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from 1548 haj pilgrims from group of contact persons of cases or suspected cases and other groups from each province at Jakarta embarkation. Isolation and serogrouping were carried out for groups A, B, C. In 1994 the number of meningococcal meningitis cases among Indonesian haj pilgrims in 1994 in Arab Saudi were 4, one of them died. Carrier rate of N. meningitidis found from 7 districts was 0.97% (15 carriers ). The percentage of carriers in age group of 30-39 years was 1.96%, groups of 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and above 70 years were 0,55%, 0.65%, 1.41% and 1.07% respectively. Sero groups of N. meningitidis isolated from carriers were 78.59% of group B, 7.14%> of group C and 14.29% of group A & B. The study of meningococcal serotype and routine sampling of haj pilgrims in group of cases are still continued to obtain more data of prevalence and carriers returning to Indonesia.