In the case of Japanese and their descendants living in the municipality of Londrina, State of Paraná, the morbidity of meningococcic disease was about seven times lower than for the rest of the population, the death rate having been nil during both endemic and epidemic phases. A review of medical and hospital records, covering registered cases, showed no diagnoses of meningococcic disease in 75% of patients of Japanese origin or in 20% of samplings of non-Japanese patients. The possible relationship of socioeconomic and cultural (nutritional) factors, as regards above observations is discussed.
Meningococcal infections; Epidemiology; Japanese
