Knowledge and Attitude of Meningitis Belt Country Passengers Arriving at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia toward Ciprofloxacin as a Meningococcal Disease Prophylaxis

Abstract Meningitis belt countries of sub-Saharan Africa are highly endemic of Neisseria meningitides. Passengers traveling from meningitis belt countries and arriving in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia should receive one dose of ciprofloxacin upon their arrival if they are not vaccinated with the quadrivalent (ACYW) conjugate meningococcal vaccine. This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of those passengers regarding the preventive measures taken at the point of entry toward meningococcal disease. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 passengers who arrived from meningitis belt countries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from April to June 2022. The study shows that 51% of the participants were aware of the purpose of ciprofloxacin use, 64.7% of them were vaccinated with the meningococcal vaccine. About 77.2 % of the passengers were not informed about the preventive measures regarding meningococcal disease and the obligation of receiving ciprofloxacin if they are not vaccinated with conjugate type. The study finding demonstrates that there is a lack of information among the passengers who are arriving from meningitis belt countries regarding the preventive measures for meningococcal disease and it should be conveyed to them before the issuance of the visa in their home countries. Keywords: Meningitis Belt Countries, Neisseria meningitidis, Polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine, Conjugate meningococcal vaccine, Ciprofloxacin.