PLoS ONE (Jan 2011)

Emergence of epidemic Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X meningitis in Togo and Burkina Faso.

  • Isabelle Delrieu,
  • Seydou Yaro,
  • Tsidi A S Tamekloé,
  • Berthe-Marie Njanpop-Lafourcade,
  • Haoua Tall,
  • Philippe Jaillard,
  • Macaire S Ouedraogo,
  • Kossi Badziklou,
  • Oumarou Sanou,
  • Aly Drabo,
  • Bradford D Gessner,
  • Jean L Kambou,
  • Judith E Mueller

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019513
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 5
p. e19513

Abstract

Read online

Serogroup X meningococci (NmX) historically have caused sporadic and clustered meningitis cases in sub-Saharan Africa. To study recent NmX epidemiology, we analyzed data from population-based, sentinel and passive surveillance, and outbreak investigations of bacterial meningitis in Togo and Burkina Faso during 2006-2010. Cerebrospinal fluid specimens were analyzed by PCR. In Togo during 2006-2009, NmX accounted for 16% of the 702 confirmed bacterial meningitis cases. Kozah district experienced an NmX outbreak in March 2007 with an NmX seasonal cumulative incidence of 33/100,000. In Burkina Faso during 2007-2010, NmX accounted for 7% of the 778 confirmed bacterial meningitis cases, with an increase from 2009 to 2010 (4% to 35% of all confirmed cases, respectively). In 2010, NmX epidemics occurred in northern and central regions of Burkina Faso; the highest district cumulative incidence of NmX was estimated as 130/100,000 during March-April. Although limited to a few districts, we have documented NmX meningitis epidemics occurring with a seasonal incidence previously only reported in the meningitis belt for NmW135 and NmA, which argues for development of an NmX vaccine.