Space-time cluster analysis of invasive meningococcal disease

Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Sep;10(9):1621-6. doi: 10.3201/eid1009.030992.

Abstract

Clusters are recognized when meningococcal cases of the same phenotypic strain (markers: serogroup, serotype, and subtype) occur in spatial and temporal proximity. The incidence of such clusters was compared to the incidence that would be expected by chance by using space-time nearest-neighbor analysis of 4,887 confirmed invasive meningococcal cases identified in the 9-year surveillance period 1993-2001 in the Netherlands. Clustering beyond chance only occurred among the closest neighboring cases (comparable to secondary cases) and was small (3.1%, 95% confidence interval 2.1%-4.1%).

MeSH terms

  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Humans
  • Meningococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Population Surveillance
  • Space-Time Clustering