OBJECTIVES: Although invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) has low incidence, management of acute episodes, long-term complications, and outbreaks requires extensive public health and medical resources, representing a considerable economic burden. A targeted literature review on the economic burden of IMD was performed to provide a comprehensive analysis of its associated cost.
METHODS: A search was conducted in PubMed, limited to articles published from 1 January 2000 to 9 December 2022, using key search terms related to IMD and economic burden. All costs were converted and inflated to EUR 2022.
RESULTS: 38 references from the PubMed literature related to 17 countries were included. The lifetime cost per case of IMD was modeled in 5 articles and ranged from €53,776 in Australia to €191,530 in Germany. The mean acute hospitalization costs per patient, reported in 18 articles, ranged from €5,520 in Spain to €39,273 in the US, and were higher for those with sequelae than those without sequelae (€49,484 vs. €6,667 in an Australian study). In the year following diagnosis, direct medical costs ranged from €4,254 in France to €27,508 in the US; these costs were higher in cases with sequelae (€20,096 in France and €86,177 in the US). Indirect costs resulting from productivity loss associated with IMD-related sequelae were reported in 4 studies; per-patient lifetime costs associated with productivity loss ranged from €53,776 in Australia to €123,646 in Netherlands. Finally, total public health costs associated with IMD outbreaks vary considerably by country and include reactive vaccination campaigns, case management, and other surveillance and response activities.
CONCLUSIONS: IMD poses a major challenge to healthcare systems and society due to its economic burden. Our analysis emphasizes the heterogeneity of results and the importance of considering the broad economic impact of IMD.
