Identifying an appropriate PCV for use in Senegal, recent insights concerning Streptococcus pneumoniae NP carriage and IPD in Dakar.

BACKGROUND: Since 2000, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and WHO have supported the introduction of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in the immunization programs of developing countries. The highest pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage rates have been reported (40-60%) in these countries, and the highest incidence and case fatality rates of pneumococcal infections have been demonstrated in Africa. METHODS: Studies concerning nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage and pneumococcal infection in children less than 5 years old were conducted in Dakar from 2007 to 2008. Serotype, antibiotic susceptibility and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined. In addition, among 17 overall publications, 6 manuscripts of the Senegalese literature published from 1972 to 2013 were selected for data comparisons. RESULTS: Among the 264 children observed, 132 (50%) children generated a nasopharyngeal (NP) positive culture with Streptococcus pneumoniae. The five most prevalent serotypes, were 6B (9%), 19 F (9%), 23 F (7.6%), 14 (7.6%) and 6A (6.8%). Fifteen percent of the strains (20/132) showed reduced susceptibility to penicillin and 3% (4/132) showed reduced susceptibility to anti-pneumococcal fluoroquinolones. Among the 196 suspected pneumococcal infections, 62 (31.6%) Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated. Serogroup 1 was the most prevalent serotype (21.3%), followed by 6B (14.9%), 23 F (14.9%) and 5 (8.5%). Vaccine coverage for PCV-7, PCV-10 and PCV-13, were 36.2% (17/47), 66% (31/47) and 70.2% (33/47) respectively. Reduced susceptibility to penicillin and anti-pneumococcal fluoroquinolones was 6.4% and 4.3%, respectively, and the overall lethality was 42.4% (14/33). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms a high rate of carriage and disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes contained within the current generation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and consistent with reports from other countries in sub-Saharan Africa prior to PCV introduction. Antimicrobial resistance in this small unselected sample confirms a low rate of antibiotic resistance. Case-fatality is high. Introduction of a high valency pneumococcal vaccine should be a priority for health planners with the establishment of an effective surveillance system to monitor post vaccine changes.

Viral etiology of influenza-like illnesses in Cameroon, January-December 2009.

BACKGROUND: No information is available on the viral etiology of upper respiratory tract infections in Cameroon. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled outpatients with influenza-like illness (ILI) presenting at 14 sentinel clinics located across the country from January through December 2009. The specimens were tested using real-time and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction methods for the detection of 15 RNA respiratory viruses. RESULTS: We detected at least 1 respiratory virus in 365 of 561 specimens (65.1%). Overall, influenza virus was the most commonly detected virus (28.2% of specimens), followed by human rhinovirus (17.8%); parainfluenza virus (PIV) types 1-4 (7.5%); enterovirus (5.9%); respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 5.7%); human coronavirus (HCoV) OC43, 229E, NL63, and HKU1 (5.3%); and human metapneumovirus (HMPV; 5.0%). RSV (26 of 31 specimens [83.9%]), PIV (30 of 39 [76.9%]), and HRV (64 of 99 [64.6%]) were most common among children <5 years of age. Coinfections were found in 53 of 365 positive specimens (14.5%), and most (71.7%) were in children <5 years of age. While influenza virus, enterovirus, RSV, and HMPV had a defined period of circulation, the other viruses were detected throughout the year. CONCLUSIONS: We found that respiratory viruses play an important role in the etiology of ILI in Cameroon, particularly in children <5 years of age.

Meningococcal meningitis: unprecedented incidence of serogroup X-related cases in 2006 in Niger.

BACKGROUND: In Niger, epidemic meningococcal meningitis is primarily caused by Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) serogroup A. However, since 2002, Nm serogroup W135 has been considered to be a major threat that has not yet been realized, and an unprecedented incidence of Nm serogroup X (NmX) meningitis was observed in 2006. METHODS: Meningitis surveillance in Niger is performed on the basis of reporting of clinically suspected cases. Cerebrospinal fluid specimens are sent to the reference laboratory in Niamey, Niger. Culture, latex agglutination, and polymerase chain reaction are used whenever appropriate. Since 2004, after the addition of a polymerase chain reaction-based nonculture assay that was developed to genogroup isolates of NmX, polymerase chain reaction testing allows for the identification of Nm serogroup A, Nm serogroup B, Nm serogroup C, NmX, Nm serogroup Y, and Nm serogroup W135. RESULTS: From January to June 2006, a total of 4185 cases of meningitis were reported, and 2905 cerebrospinal fluid specimens were laboratory tested. NmX meningitis represented 51% of 1139 confirmed cases of meningococcal meningitis, but in southwestern Niger, it represented 90%. In the agglomeration of Niamey, the reported cumulative incidence of meningitis was 73 cases per 100,000 population and the cumulative incidence of confirmed NmX meningitis was 27.5 cases per 100,000 population (74.6 cases per 100,000 population in children aged 5-9 years). NmX isolates had the same phenotype (X : NT : P1.5), and all belonged to the same sequence type (ST-181) as the NmX isolates that were circulating in Niamey in the 1990s. Nm serogroup W135 represented only 2.1% of identified meningococci. CONCLUSIONS: This is, to our knowledge, the first report of such a high incidence of NmX meningitis, although an unusually high incidence of NmX meningitis was also observed in the 1990s in Niamey. The increasing incidence of NmX meningitis is worrisome, because no vaccine has been developed against this serogroup. Countries in the African meningitis belt must prepare to face this potential new challenge.

New rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, W135, C, and Y.

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis (meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis) are a major public health concern in the African "meningitis belt," which includes 21 countries from Senegal to Ethiopia. Of the several species that can cause meningitis, N. meningitidis is the most important cause of epidemics in this region. In choosing the appropriate vaccine, accurate N. meningitidis serogroup determination is key. To this end, we developed and evaluated two duplex rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for detecting N. meningitidis polysaccharide (PS) antigens of several important serogroups. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Mouse monoclonal IgG antibodies against N. meningitidis PS A, W135/Y, Y, and C were used to develop two immunochromatography duplex RDTs, RDT1 (to detect serogroups A and W135/Y) and RDT2 (to detect serogroups C and Y). Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy criteria were used to determine diagnostic accuracy of RDTs on reference strains and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples using culture and PCR, respectively, as reference tests. The cutoffs were 10(5) cfu/ml for reference strains and 1 ng/ml for PS. Sensitivities and specificities were 100% for reference strains, and 93.8%-100% for CSF serogroups A, W135, and Y in CSF. For CSF serogroup A, the positive and negative likelihood ratios (+/- 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 31.867 (16.1-63.1) and 0.065 (0.04-0.104), respectively, and the diagnostic odds ratio (+/- 95% CI) was 492.9 (207.2-1,172.5). For CSF serogroups W135 and Y, the positive likelihood ratio was 159.6 (51.7-493.3) Both RDTs were equally reliable at 25 degrees C and 45 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: These RDTs are important new bedside diagnostic tools for surveillance of meningococcus serogroups A and W135, the two serogroups that are responsible for major epidemics in Africa.

Prospective survey on carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and protective immunity to meningococci in schoolchildren in Niamey (Niger): focus on serogroup W135.

We investigated the carriage of serogroup W135 meningococci and its relationship with protective immunity in Niamey. Between February and May 2003, three oropharyngeal swabs and two serum samples were each taken from 287 school children. Serogroup W135 isolates were obtained from 8.9% of children. Specific IgG > or = 2 microg/ml using ELISA or serum bactericidal assay (SBA) titre > or = 8 were supposed to represent the protective immunity to a serogroup. The proportion of children with serogroup W135-specific IgG > or = 2 microg/ml increased significantly during follow-up (13.9% to 19.1%), but not the proportion of those with SBA titre > or = 8 (10.1% to 11.6%). At the end of the follow-up, we observed a significant association between carriage of serogroup W135 strains and presumed protective immunity to this serogroup, using either ELISA or SBA. Among 240 children having an initial SBA titre < 8, 20 carried serogroup W135 strains at least once. In May, 25% of carriers had an SBA titre > or = 8, vs. 2.3% of non-carriers. For ELISA, 230 children had specific IgG < 2 microg/ml in February, with 22 having at least one swab positive for serogroup W135 meningococci later. In May, 45.5% of them had specific IgG > or = 2 microg/ml vs. 5.3% among non-carriers.

Scaling up of PCR-based surveillance of bacterial meningitis in the African meningitis belt: indisputable benefits of multiplex PCR assay in Niger.

The absence of reliable laboratories for culture of Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, the three main causes of bacterial meningitis in Africa, hampers microbiological surveillance in these countries. To compensate for this situation in Niger, a multiplex single-tube PCR method has been implemented at a central level to test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. The overall confirmation rate for PCR (N=3791) was 40.8% compared with 16.0% for culture (N=945) (P<10(-6)). Among 850 CSF specimens tested by both methods, the overall confirmation rate was 29.4% for PCR and 16.4% for culture (P<10(-8)). PCR was also efficient for the CSF specimens stored in Trans-isolate medium. In conclusion, PCR assay is currently a key tool in Africa to improve microbiological surveillance of bacterial meningitis.

Evidence of dengue virus transmission and factors associated with the presence of anti-dengue virus antibodies in humans in three major towns in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: Dengue is not well documented in Africa. In Cameroon, data are scarce, but dengue infection has been confirmed in humans. We conducted a study to document risk factors associated with anti-dengue virus Immunoglobulin G seropositivity in humans in three major towns in Cameroon. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross sectional survey was conducted in Douala, Garoua and Yaounde, using a random cluster sampling design. Participants underwent a standardized interview and were blood sampled. Environmental and housing characteristics were recorded. Randomized houses were prospected to record all water containers, and immature stages of Aedes mosquitoes were collected. Sera were screened for anti-dengue virus IgG and IgM antibodies. Risk factors of seropositivity were tested using logistic regression methods with random effects. Anti-dengue IgG were found from 61.4% of sera in Douala (n = 699), 24.2% in Garoua (n = 728) and 9.8% in Yaounde (n = 603). IgM were found from 0.3% of Douala samples, 0.1% of Garoua samples and 0.0% of Yaounde samples. Seroneutralization on randomly selected IgG positive sera showed that 72% (n = 100) in Douala, 80% (n = 94) in Garoua and 77% (n = 66) in Yaounde had antibodies specific for dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2). Age, temporary house walls materials, having water-storage containers, old tires or toilets in the yard, having no TV, having no air conditioning and having travelled at least once outside the city were independently associated with anti-dengue IgG positivity in Douala. Age, having uncovered water containers, having no TV, not being born in Garoua and not breeding pigs were significant risk factors in Garoua. Recent history of malaria, having banana trees and stagnant water in the yard were independent risk factors in Yaounde. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: In this survey, most identified risk factors of dengue were related to housing conditions. Poverty and underdevelopment are central to the dengue epidemiology in Cameroon.

Epidemiologic pattern of meningococcal meningitis in northern Cameroon in 2007-2010: contribution of PCR-enhanced surveillance.

OBJECTIVES: Monitoring acute bacterial meningitis in northern Cameroon. METHODS: Health professionals collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients presenting with clinical symptoms of meningitis. Specimens were tested using gram stain, latex agglutination test, and culture. A PCR assay completed the diagnostic testing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on some Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) isolates. RESULTS: From 2007 through 2010, of the 1429 CSF specimens tested, 292 (20·4%) were positive, either for Nm (205), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) (57), or Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) (30). From 2007 through 2009, the serogroup W135 represented 98·8% of 164 case isolates. Until 2008, most serogroup W135 isolates presented the sequence-type ST-2881 usually associated with sporadic cases. Since 2009, the ST-11 (an epidemic-associated clone) became predominant, although no epidemic occurred. Serogroup A ST-7 was observed in 2010 and caused a localized epidemic. Using the detection PCR on turbid CSF, a 2·7-fold increase in cases with etiologic diagnosis was obtained, compared to culture. All tested meningococcal isolates (42) were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and cefotaxim. CONCLUSIONS: Resurgence of serogroup A and recent increase in ST-11 among serogroup W135 isolates were worrying when considered with the epidemic wave of serogroup A meningitis, which affected neighboring countries and the serogroup W135 epidemic in Niger in 2009-2010.

Adequate wound care and use of bed nets as protective factors against Buruli Ulcer: results from a case control study in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: Buruli ulcer is an infectious disease involving the skin, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Its exact transmission mechanism remains unknown. Several arguments indicate a possible role for insects in its transmission. A previous case-control study in the Nyong valley region in central Cameroon showed an unexpected association between bed net use and protection against Buruli ulcer. We investigated whether this association persisted in a newly discovered endemic Buruli ulcer focus in Bankim, northwestern Cameroon. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a case-control study on 77 Buruli ulcer cases and 153 age-, gender- and village-matched controls. Participants were interviewed about their activities and habits. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis identified systematic use of a bed net (Odds-Ratio (OR) = 0.4, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] = [0.2-0.9], p-value (p) = 0.04), cleansing wounds with soap (OR [95%CI] = 0.1 [0.03-0.3], p<0.0001) and growing cassava (OR [95%CI] = 0.3 [0.2-0.7], p = 0.005) as independent protective factors. Independent risk factors were bathing in the Mbam River (OR [95%CI] = 6.9 [1.4-35], p = 0.02) and reporting scratch lesions after insect bites (OR [95%CI] = 2.7 [1.4-5.4], p = 0.004). The proportion of cases that could be prevented by systematic bed net use was 32%, and by adequate wound care was 34%. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study confirms that two previously identified factors, adequate wound care and bed net use, significantly decreased the risk of Buruli ulcer. These associations withstand generalization to different geographic, climatic and epidemiologic settings. Involvement of insects in the household environment, and the relationship between wound hygiene and M. ulcerans infection should now be investigated.

Feasibility of early infant diagnosis of HIV in resource-limited settings: the ANRS 12140-PEDIACAM study in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: Early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV is a key-point for the implementation of early HAART, associated with lower mortality in HIV-infected infants. We evaluated the EID process of HIV according to national recommendations, in urban areas of Cameroon. METHODS/FINDINGS: The ANRS12140-PEDIACAM study is a multisite cohort in which infants born to HIV-infected mothers were included before the 8(th) day of life and followed. Collection of samples for HIV DNA/RNA-PCR was planned at 6 weeks together with routine vaccination. The HIV test result was expected to be available at 10 weeks. A positive or indeterminate test result was confirmed by a second test on a different sample. Systematic HAART was offered to HIV-infected infants identified. The EID process was considered complete if infants were tested and HIV results provided to mothers/family before 7 months of age. During 2007-2009, 1587 mother-infant pairs were included in three referral hospitals; most infants (n = 1423, 89.7%) were tested for HIV, at a median age of 1.5 months (IQR, 1.4-1.6). Among them, 51 (3.6%) were HIV-infected. Overall, 1331 (83.9%) completed the process by returning for the result before 7 months (median age: 2.5 months (IQR, 2.4-3.0)). Incomplete process, that is test not performed, or result of test not provided or provided late to the family, was independently associated with late HIV diagnosis during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.8, 95%CI: 1.1 to 2.9, p = 0.01), absence of PMTCT prophylaxis (aOR = 2.4, 95%CI: 1.4 to 4.3, p = 0.002), and emergency caesarean section (aOR = 2.5, 95%CI: 1.5 to 4.3, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In urban areas of Cameroon, HIV-infected women diagnosed sufficiently early during pregnancy opt to benefit from EID whatever their socio-economic, marital or disclosure status. Reduction of non optimal diagnosis process should focus on women with late HIV diagnosis during pregnancy especially if they did not receive any PMTCT, or if complications occurred at delivery.

Factors associated with history of HIV testing among pregnant women and their partners in Cameroon: baseline data from a Behavioral Intervention Trial (ANRS 12127 Prenahtest).

BACKGROUND: We investigated HIV testing practices at baseline among pregnant women and their partners within a multicountry randomized trial aiming to evaluate the effect of enhanced prenatal posttest HIV counseling on men's involvement. METHODS: In Yaoundé, Cameroon, 484 pregnant women with stable partners were recruited on their first antenatal care visit. We analyzed the coverage of previous HIV testing among women and their partners and looked for the factors associated with previous HIV testing, using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 476 pregnant women who completed the baseline questionnaire, 408 (85.7%) reported having been tested for HIV already once in their life, 48.3% of them during a previous pregnancy. Women previously tested for HIV were more likely to be in a stable relationship for >5 years than those never tested (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, tested women were more likely to be aged between 25 and 30 years compared with women <20 years [odds ratio (OR) 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4 to 22.1], to be able to say whether they felt at risk for HIV infection (OR 2.1, CI: 1.1 to 3.9), and to have ever discussed about HIV with their partner (OR 2.7, CI: 1.1 to 6.4). Most women (85.1%) reported that their partner had already been tested for HIV. Reasons for partner HIV testing were related to self-motivation (30.0%) and clinical symptoms (12.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Strategies aiming at improving knowledge and couple communication about HIV risks need to be considered to address the remaining barriers to HIV testing and contribute to a couple approach to HIV prevention.

Controlling schistosomiasis: significant decrease of anaemia prevalence one year after a single dose of praziquantel in Nigerian schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: In the framework of the monitoring and evaluation of the Nigerian schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth control programme, a follow-up of children took place in eight sentinel sites. The objective of the study was to assess the evolution of Schistosoma haematobium infection and anaemia in schoolchildren after a single administration of praziquantel (PZQ) and albendazole. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Pre-treatment examination and follow-up at one year post-treatment of schoolchildren aged 7, 8, and 11 years, including interview, urine examination, ultrasound examination of the urinary tract, and measurement of haemoglobin. Before treatment, the overall prevalence of S. heamatobium infection was 75.4% of the 1,642 enrolled children, and 21.8% of children excreted more than 50 eggs/10 ml urine. Prevalence increased with age. The overall prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin <11.5 g/dl) was 61.6%, decreasing significantly with increasing age. The mean haemoglobinemia was 11 g/dl. In bivariate analysis, anaemia was significantly more frequent in children infected with S. haematobium, although it was not correlated to the intensity of infection. Anaemia was also associated with micro-haematuria and to kidney distensions. In a sub-sample of 636 children tested for P. falciparum infection, anaemia was significantly more frequent in malaria-infected children. In multivariate analysis, significant predictors of anaemia were P. falciparum infection, kidney distension, and the village. One year after a single-dose praziquantel treatment (administered using the WHO PZQ dose pole) co-administered with albendazole (400 mg single dose) for de-worming, the prevalence of S. haematobium infection was 38%, while the prevalence of anaemia fell to 50.4%. The mean haemoglobinemia showed a statistically significant increase of 0.39 g/dl to reach 11.4 g/dl. Anaemia was no longer associated with S. haematobium or to P. falciparum infections, or to haematuria or ultrasound abnormalities of the urinary tract. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of anaemia in Nigerian children is clearly a result of many factors and not of schistosomiasis alone. Nevertheless, treatment of schistosomiasis and de-worming were followed by a partial, but significant, reduction of anaemia in schoolchildren, not explainable by any other obvious intervention.

Case-fatality ratio of bacterial meningitis in the African meningitis belt: we can do better.

In the African meningitis belt, reported case-fatality ratio (CFR) for meningitis are usually calculated on the basis of presumed cases. We reviewed 3509 presumed cases of bacterial meningitis reported in Niger for which a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample had been tested later at the reference laboratory. The main aetiologies were Neisseria meningitidis (1496 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (303 cases) and Haemophilus influenzae (105 cases). The CFR of meningococcal meningitis was lower for serogroup A (5.5%) than for serogroups X (12%) and W135 (12.7%). With a CFR of 49.8%, pneumococcal meningitis, albeit representing only 20.7% of confirmed cases, accounted for 50% of the deaths. The disease burden of pneumococcal meningitis must be better taken into consideration in the future. As most treatments are presumptive, there is a urgent need for an easy-to-administer, cheap first-line treatment effective on N. meningitidis as well as on S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae that would replace the single-dose oily chloramphenicol treatment which is the most frequent treatment administered today, independent of microbial aetiology and season. The development of diagnostic tools really suitable for remote health facilities also is an urgent challenge.

Biological diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis in the African meningitis belt: current epidemic strategy and new perspectives.

Laboratory diagnosis is an essential component in surveillance of meningococcal epidemics, as it can inform decision-makers of the Neisseria meningitidis serogroup(s) involved and the most appropriate vaccine to be selected for mass vaccination. However, countries most affected face real limitations in laboratory diagnostics, due to lack of resources. We describe current diagnostic tools and examine their cost-effectiveness for use in an epidemic context. The conclusion is that current WHO recommendations to use only the latex agglutination assay (Pastorex) at epidemic onset is cost-effective, but recently developed rapid diagnostic tests for the major epidemic-causing meningococcal serogroups may prove a breakthrough for the future.

Populations of pharyngeal meningococci in Niger.

This study investigated the carriage of Neisseria meningitidis group W135 (NmW135) belonging to sequence type (ST)-2881, ST-11 and NmA ST-7, as these three lineages have been responsible for sporadic cases in 2003 in Niamey (Niger). ST-7 and ST-11 were also the two genotypes involved in recent outbreaks in the African meningitis belt. Among the 97 Nm isolates obtained from 287 schoolchildren swabbed three times, 1 was identified as NmA, 34 as NmW135, 8 as NmY and 54 were non-groupable (NG). Among the 86 isolates genotyped, 59.3% belonged to ST-192, 24.4% to ST-2881, 5.8% to ST-2880, 4.6% to ST-175, 3.5% to ST-4899, 1.2% to ST-11 and 1.2% to ST-7. Most of the isolates recovered were weakly pathogenic Nm NG ST-192 and NmW135 ST-2881. These results, although preliminary, are important to consider before introduction of a NmA conjugate meningococcal vaccine in Africa.

Carriage of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 ST-2881.

Serogroup W135 ST-2881 meningococci caused a cluster of meningitis cases in Niger in 2003. Of 80 healthy persons in the patients' villages, 28 (35%) carried meningococci; 20 of 21 W135 carrier strains were ST-2881. Ten months later, 5 former carriers were still carriers of W135 ST-2881 strains. The serum bactericidal antibody activity changed according to carrier status.

Epidemiological patterns of meningococcal meningitis in Niger in 2003 and 2004: under the threat of N. meningitidis serogroup W135.

Since the Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 epidemic in Burkina Faso in 2002, the neighbouring countries dread undergoing outbreaks. Niger has strongly enhanced the microbiological surveillance, especially by adding the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to the national framework of the surveillance system. During the 2003 epidemic season, 8113 clinically suspected cases of meningitis were notified and nine districts of the 42 crossed the epidemic threshold, while during the 2004 season, the number of cases was 3521 and four districts notified epidemics. In 2003 and 2004, serogroup A was identified in most N. meningitidis from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens (89.7% of 759 and 87.2% of 406, respectively). Although serogroup W135 represented only 8.3% of the meningococcal meningitis in 2003 and 7.9% in 2004, and was not involved in outbreaks, it was widespread in various areas of the country. In the regions that notified epidemics, the proportion of serogroup W135 was tiny while it exceeded 40% in several non-epidemic regions. Despite the wide distribution of W135 serogroup in Niger and the fears expressed in 2001, the threat of a large epidemic caused by N. meningitidis W135 seems to have been averted in Niger so far. There is no clear indication whether this serogroup will play a lasting role in the epidemiology of meningococcal meningitis or not. As early as in the 1990s, a significant but transient increase in the incidence of N. meningitidis serogroup X was observed. Close microbiological surveillance is crucial for monitoring the threat and for identifying at the earliest the serogroups involved in epidemics.

Polymerase chain reaction assay and bacterial meningitis surveillance in remote areas, Niger.

To compensate for the lack of laboratories in remote areas, the national reference laboratory for meningitis in Niger used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to enhance the surveillance of meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae. PCR effectively documented the wide geographic spread of N. meningitidis serogroup W135.