Serogroup

CDC data show that cases of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B in the United States is at an all-time low — only 0.11 cases per 100,000 people in 2017.

The rate of early-onset disease caused by group B Streptococcus, or GBS, has decreased among infants in the United States between 2006 and 2015, according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers said late-onset disease caused by GBS is now more common in this population, which means efforts to prevent the disease should shift toward vaccine development rather than intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis.

The overall incidence of meningococcal disease is low among college students in the United States, but they were over three times more likely to develop meningococcal B disease, or MenB, compared with those who did not attend college, according to research published in Pediatrics. The increased risk for disease among this population highlights the importance of vaccination, researchers said.