{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T11:18:38Z","timestamp":1787656718808,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776988800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Neisseria meningitidis<\/jats:italic>\n                      is a major cause of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), with asymptomatic carriage playing a crucial role in transmission. Adolescents (15\u201317\u202fyears) and young adults (18\u201320\u202fyears) have the highest carriage rates, yet data from Kuwait remain limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of\n                      <jats:italic>N. meningitidis<\/jats:italic>\n                      carriage among adolescents and young adults in Kuwait.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2023 to May 2024, enrolling 1,398 participants aged 15\u201320\u202fyears. Randomly selected individuals provided oropharyngeal swabs, and demographic, behavioral, and vaccination data were collected via standardized questionnaires. Carriage prevalence was determined using selective culture-based methods. Whole genome sequencing was performed on culture-confirmed isolates. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics; carriage prevalence was reported as proportions, and associations were explored using Fisher\u2019s exact or chi-square tests and logistic regression where feasible.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The overall meningococcal carriage rate was 0.21% (3\/1,398). All isolates were non-groupable (NG), with one carrying the capsule null locus (CNL). Self-reported MenACWY vaccination coverage was 94.8%. No significant associations between demographic, geographic, or behavioral factors and carriage status were identified due to the small number of positive cases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This study provides a population-based estimate of meningococcal carriage among adolescents and young adults in Kuwait using a random sampling approach. The low carriage rate, alongside high vaccination coverage, suggests that existing immunization programs in Kuwait may be effective in reducing\n                      <jats:italic>N. meningitidis<\/jats:italic>\n                      transmission. However, the presence of NG strains stresses the need for continued surveillance. Further research is required to evaluate long-term vaccination impacts and potential gaps in disease protection.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1766703","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:42:49Z","timestamp":1777009369000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Meningococcal carriage in adolescents and young adults in Kuwait"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Alghounaim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Amiri Hospital","place":["Kuwait City, Kuwait"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hamad","family":"Bastaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health","place":["Kuwait City, Kuwait"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Egaila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pfizer Gulf FZ LLC","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jennifer","family":"Onwumeh-Okwundu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RWE Platform Pfizer Inc.","place":["Collegeville, PA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Abdel Aziz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pfizer Gulf FZ LLC","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jean","family":"Joury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pfizer Gulf FZ LLC","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lidia","family":"Sierra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pfizer Inc.","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Florence Lefebvre","family":"D\u2019Hellencourt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pfizer Inc.","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jinf.2023.10.011","article-title":"Meningococcal disease in the Middle East: a report from the global meningococcal initiative","volume":"88","author":"Al-Abri","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Infect"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-022-12933-3","article-title":"Epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease and sequelae in the United Kingdom during the period 2008 to 2017: a secondary database analysis","volume":"22","author":"Guedes","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Public 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