To compare dynamics of localized meningitis epidemics (LE) by meningococcal (Nm) serogroup, we analyzed a surveillance database of suspected and laboratory-confirmed Nm cases from 373 health areas (HA) of three regions in Niger during 2002-2012 and one region concerned by NmC epidemics during 2015. We defined LE as HA weekly incidence rates of ≥20 suspected cases per 100,000 during ≥2 weeks and...

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of pyogenic meningitis worldwide, as well as causing large epidemics in parts of Africa. With the dramatic decline in cases of Haemophilus in uenzae B, N. meningitidis has emerged as one of the most common causes of acute bacterial meningitis in children and adults in South Africa. However, it remains an uncommon cause of meningitis in the neonatal peri...

Peoples living in the 26 countries across the meningeal belt of Sub-Saharan Africa that stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia suffer from repeated epidemics of meningococcal disease. Literatures showed that epidemic meningococcal disease has been present in the stated region for more than 100 years. Though over 80% of cases of the African epidemics are associated with Neisseria meningitides serogr...

In a retrospective study, a comparison was made of clinical and laboratory data in 14 patients with meningococcaemia and 40 patients with meningococcal meningitis. Significant differences were found in duration of symptoms, onset of purpura, presence of shock, initial WBC, ESR, and serum fibrin degradation products. The overall mortality rate in this series was 7%, 4 patients with meningococcae...

BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s, more than 600,000 people had epidemic meningococcal meningitis, of whom 10% died. The current recommended treatment by WHO is short-course long-acting oily chloramphenicol. Continuation of the production of this drug is uncertain, so simple alternatives need to be found. We assessed whether the efficacy of single-dose treatment of ceftriaxone was n...

Serogroup A meningococcal strains have been involved in several pandemics and a series of epidemics worldwide in the past. Determination of the genome sequence of the prevalent genotype strain will help us understand the genetic background of the evolutionary and epidemiological properties of these bacteria. We sequenced the complete genome of Neisseria meningitidis NMA510612, a clinical isolat...

Epidemics of meningitis primarily due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A have posed a recurring public health challenge in countries in the Sub-Saharan African 'meningitis belt' for at least 100 years. 1,2 In this region, sporadic infections occur in annual cycles with large-scale epidemics superimposed periodically. These epidemics frequently result in attack rates of 250 to 500 cases per 1...

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine strategies in GAVI-eligible countries are focusing on infant immunization but this strategy may not be optimal in all settings. We aimed to collect all available population based data on pneumococcal meningitis throughout life in the African meningitis belt and then to model overall meningitis risk to help inform vaccine policy. METHODS After a system...

Meningococcal disease causes at least 500,000 cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide each year. Epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occur in many parts of the world. Serogroup A is associated with explosive epidemics with attack rates up to 500 per 100,000. An epidemic of serogroup A in the African ‘meningitis belt’, which began in 1996, has resulted in at least 300,000 cases to date and many thou...