EMGM European Meningococcal Epidemiology in Real Time (EMERT) Working Group

Convener:Arie van der Ende, Academic Medical Center, Department of Medical Microbiology, the Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a.vanderende@amc.uva.nl
Co-convener:Ulrich Vogel, University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, National Reference Centre for Meningococci, Würzburg, Germany, uvogel@hygiene.uni-wuerzburg.de.

The aim of the EMERT Working Group is to promote EMERT providing real time molecular epidemiology for invasive meningococci circulating in Europe. Data will be important for outbreak management and will enhance the rational selection of meningococcal strains for vaccine development.

Achievements of members of this group include:

• 2007: The development of European Meningococcal Epidemiology in Real Time (EMERT; http://emgm.eu/emert/) and presentation at the EMGM meeting in Rome, 2007, by the webmaster Keith Jolley, Oxford University, UK. Distribution of a policy document.