Neisseria meningitidis Serogroups W135 and A Were Equally Prevalent among Meningitis Cases Occurring at the End of the 2001 Epidemics in Burkina Faso and Niger

Abstract

Meningococcal infections occur as epidemics in the African meningitis belt. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A is predominantly involved in these epidemics. We report here new data on the involvement of both serogroups A and W135 in meningitis cases in Burkina Faso and Niger at the end of the 2001 epidemic

Development and Evaluation of a Dipstick Diagnostic Test for Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup X

“…The PCR conditions and primers used were previously described (8). Culture was not used, as it has repeatedly been shown to be less sensitive than PCR (18).…”

“…In the meningitis belt, N. meningitidis serogroup A (NmA) predominated prior to the introduction of the NmA polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac) (6), while other serogroups (mainly serogroups W [NmW] and X [NmX]), were also detected and still are. Of particular concern, outbreaks due to isolates of NmW and NmX were recently reported in Africa (7)(8)(9). Surveillance of the distribution of meningococcal serogroups is therefore important, and its comprehensiveness will benefit from diagnostic tools that can be widely used at the bedside.…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis Isolated in the African Meningitis Belt between 1988 and 2003 Shows Dominance of Sequence Type 5 (ST-5) and ST-11 Complexes

“…For the serogroup W135 strains, the recovery of ST-2881 from patients, in addition to the ST-11 complex in several countries of the region, might be important; and the eventuality of the replacement of a clone should be monitored. Since 2000, the epidemiology of meningococcal meningitis has changed in the meningitis belt, with both the ST-5 and the ST-11 complexes associated with outbreaks simultaneously in one country (28). This underlines the need for reinforcing the bacteriological diagnosis capacities of laboratories in Africa, with the aim of identifying and rapidly characterizing the causative agent of acute bacterial meningitis.…”

Continuing Diversification of Neisseria meningitidis W135 as a Primary Cause of Meningococcal Disease after Emergence of the Serogroup in 2000

“…However, related strains belonging to this clonal complex have been observed worldwide since 1970 (14). In 2001, meningococcal strains of serogroup W135 also belonging to the ET-37 clonal complex were involved in epidemics in Burkina Faso and Niger (20) (6), the overall number of cases due to serogroup W135 isolates did not (18). In the work described here, we aimed to analyze the genetic evolution of serogroup W135 strains isolated in France after the outbreak in 2000 in order to evaluate their epidemiological potentials.…”