Prevalence of meningococcal carriage among male university students living in dormitories in Kerman, southeast of Iran

Neisseria meningitidis is an important causative agent of bacterial meningitis. The nasopharynx is the only known reservoir of this organism. Although the relationship between carriage and invasive disease is not completely understood, asymptomatic meningococcal carriers are considered as the most important sources for causing strains of disease. Living in closed and overcrowded places such as university dormitories can increase the carriage rate and meningococcal disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of N. meningitidis carriers among male students living in three dormitories affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences (Kerman, Iran)