PENGGUNAAN KERTAS SARING UNTUK PEMERIKSAAN TITER ANTIBODI MENINGITIS MENINGOKOKUS SEROGRUP A DAN C PADA JAMAAH HAJI

Meningococcal diseases often cause outbreak especially for Haj pilgrims who returned from Saudi Arabia. Nasopharyngeal swab and blood usually taken from meningococcal cases and the people surrounding them (their contact) to confirm that the disease are caused by meningococcal meningitis. Immunization with serogroup A-C meningococcal meningitis vaccine was already given to haj pilgrims to prevent meningococcal disease since 1988. and it was replaced by serogroup A­ C- Y-W135 vaccine since 2002. after the founding of serogroup WI 35 meningococcal carriers. The obstacles of sample collection are the sending of the blood spesimen because of long distance to laboratory and unavailable of cold chain. The alternative way to collect the blood is by using the filter paper due to less volume of blood and no cold temperature for keeping this specimen. The objectives study is to compare antibody titre of meningococcal meningitis serogrup A and C between filter paper, and blood tube as standard procedure for blood collecting. Sample weres haj pilgrims who returned.from Saudi Arabia. Antibody titre was determined by ELISA. The result shows no significant difference of antibody titre for meningococcal meningitis serogroup A between filter paper and blood tube. The different titre for meningococcal meningitis serogroup C is due to unstability of this bacteria and no standard procedure to measure it yet. It could be· concluded that filter paper is the alternative way to collect the blood for menignococal meningitis antibody testing is suggested to develop standard procedure for meningococcal meningitis serogroup C antibody and the other groups