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February 25, 2002
“Local Meningococcal Outbreak Has Medical Officials
Puzzled” Edmonton Journal (www.edmontonjournal.com) (02/24/02) P. A9;
Ohler, Shawn
In Canada, Edmonton health officials are baffled as to why
the region continues to experience meningococcal meningitis at such a high
rate, even after conducting aggressive vaccination campaigns over the past two
years. Since December, there have been
eight new cases, including one in a 19-year-old that resulted in death; the
Edmonton meningococcus strain is responsible for 60 to 85 meningococcus cases
since December 1999, officials said.
The Edmonton strain is genetically unique from the strains that broke out
in Quebec and Ontario during the past decade, but what puzzles experts is how
this particular strain’s genetic makeup translates into how the bacterium
operates. There is speculation the
Edmonton strain is able to alter its bacterium surface sufficiently enough to
go unrecognized by the immune system, or perhaps it creates a new cellular
substance that enables the infection to creep more stealthily into the nose and
throat lining. Dr. Gerry Predy, Capital
Health’s medical officer of health, noted that while current vaccines are about
85 percent to 90 percent as effective against the Edmonton strain, health officials
are finding it difficult to persuade healthy young adults to get vaccinated,
despite the quick onset and potential deadliness of the disease.
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