Epitope imprinting of iron binding protein of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria through multiple monomers imprinting approach.

Epitope imprinting is a promising technique for fabrication of novel diagnostic tools. In this study, an epitope imprinted methodology for recognition of target epitope sequence as well as targeted protein infused by bacterial infection in blood samples of patients suffering from brain fever is developed. Template sequence chosen is a ferric iron binding fbp A protein present in Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. To orient the imprinting template peptide sequence on gold surface of electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), thiol chemistry was utilized to form the self-assembled monolayer on EQCM electrode. Here, synergistic effects induced by various noncovalent interactions extended by multiple monomers (3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium-salt and benzyl methacrylate) were used in fabricating the imprinting polymeric matrix with additional firmness provided by N,N-methylene-bis-acrylamide as cross-linker and azo-isobutyronitrile as initiator. Extraction of template molecule was carried out with phosphate buffer solution. After extraction of epitope molecules from the polymeric film, epitope molecularly imprinted polymeric films were fabricated on EQCM electrode surface. Nonimprinted polymers were also synthesized in the similar manner without epitope molecule. Detection limit of epitope molecularly imprinted polymers and imprinting factor (epitope molecularly imprinted polymers/nonimprinted polymers) was calculated 1.39 ng mL-1 and 12.27 respectively showing high binding capacity and specific recognition behavior toward template molecule. Simplicity of present method would put forward a fast, facile, cost-effective diagnostic tool for mass health care.

Meningococcal meningitis with neurological complications and meningococcemia due to serogroup W sequence type 11 complex.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by the serogroup W (MenW) sequence type-11 complex strain has recently emerged worldwide. Meningococcal infections due to this strain are associated with high case fatality and often atypical clinical manifestations. However, the annual IMD incidence was low, and MenW is rare in Japan. We described the first Japanese case of meningococcal meningitis and meningococcemia caused by this strain in a previously healthy 27-year-old woman. This case showed various neurological complications such as abducens palsy, cerebellitis, and cerebellar infarction, and reactive arthritis. This case provides useful information on the possibility of spreading IMD strains and the cause of various complications.

Lipooligosaccharide Structures of Invasive and Carrier Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis Are Correlated with Pathogenicity and Carriage.

The degree of phosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation of lipid A on neisserial lipooligosaccharide (LOS), a major cell-surface antigen, can be correlated with inflammatory potential and the ability to induce immune tolerance in vitro. On the oligosaccharide of the LOS, the presence of phosphoethanolamine and sialic acid substituents can be correlated with in vitro serum resistance. In this study, we analyzed the structure of the LOS from 40 invasive isolates and 25 isolates from carriers of Neisseria meningitidis without disease. Invasive strains were classified as groups 1-3 that caused meningitis, septicemia without meningitis, and septicemia with meningitis, respectively. Intact LOS was analyzed by high resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Prominent peaks for lipid A fragment ions with three phosphates and one phosphoethanolamine were detected in all LOS analyzed. LOS from groups 2 and 3 had less abundant ions for highly phosphorylated lipid A forms and induced less TNF-α in THP-1 monocytic cells compared with LOS from group 1. Lipid A from all invasive strains was hexaacylated, whereas lipid A of 6/25 carrier strains was pentaacylated. There were fewer O-acetyl groups and more phosphoethanolamine and sialic acid substitutions on the oligosaccharide from invasive compared with carrier isolates. Bioinformatic and genomic analysis of LOS biosynthetic genes indicated significant skewing to specific alleles, dependent on the disease outcome. Our results suggest that variable LOS structures have multifaceted effects on homeostatic innate immune responses that have critical impact on the pathophysiology of meningococcal infections.

Transcriptomic buffering of cryptic genetic variation contributes to meningococcal virulence.

BACKGROUND: Commensal bacteria like Neisseria meningitidis sometimes cause serious disease. However, genomic comparison of hyperinvasive and apathogenic lineages did not reveal unambiguous hints towards indispensable virulence factors. Here, in a systems biological approach we compared gene expression of the invasive strain MC58 and the carriage strain α522 under different ex vivo conditions mimicking commensal and virulence compartments to assess the strain-specific impact of gene regulation on meningococcal virulence. RESULTS: Despite indistinguishable ex vivo phenotypes, both strains differed in the expression of over 500 genes under infection mimicking conditions. These differences comprised in particular metabolic and information processing genes as well as genes known to be involved in host-damage such as the nitrite reductase and numerous LOS biosynthesis genes. A model based analysis of the transcriptomic differences in human blood suggested ensuing metabolic flux differences in energy, glutamine and cysteine metabolic pathways along with differences in the activation of the stringent response in both strains. In support of the computational findings, experimental analyses revealed differences in cysteine and glutamine auxotrophy in both strains as well as a strain and condition dependent essentiality of the (p)ppGpp synthetase gene relA and of a short non-coding AT-rich repeat element in its promoter region. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that meningococcal virulence is linked to transcriptional buffering of cryptic genetic variation in metabolic genes including global stress responses. They further highlight the role of regulatory elements for bacterial virulence and the limitations of model strain approaches when studying such genetically diverse species as N. meningitidis.

The impact of aggregating serogroups in dynamic models of Neisseria meningitidis transmission.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a pathogen of multiple serogroups that is highly prevalent in many populations. Serogroups associated with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Canada, for example, include A, B, C, W-135, X and Y. IMD is a rare but serious outcome of Nm infection, and can be prevented with vaccines that target certain serogroups. This has stimulated the development of dynamic models to evaluate vaccine impact. However, these models typically aggregate the various Nm serogroups into a small number of combined groups, instead of modelling each serogroup individually. The impact of aggregation on dynamic Nm model predictions is poorly understood. Our objective was to explore the impact of aggregation on dynamic model predictions. METHODS: We developed two age-structured agent-based models--a 2-strain model and a 4-strain model--to simulate vaccination programs in the Canadian setting. The 2-strain model was used to explore two different groupings: C, versus all other serogroups combined; and B, versus all other serogroups combined. The 4-strain model used the four groupings: C, B, Neisseria lactamica, versus all other serogroups combined. We compared the predicted impact of monovalent C vaccine, quadrivalent ACWY vaccine (MCV-4), and monovalent B vaccine (4CMenB) on the prevalence of serogroup carriage under these different models. RESULTS: The 2-strain and 4-strain models predicted similar overall impacts of vaccines on carriage prevalence, especially with respect to the vaccine-targeted serogroups. However, there were some significant quantitative and qualitative differences. Declines in vaccine-targeted serogroups were more rapid in the 2-strain model than the 4-strain model, for both the C and the 4CMenB vaccines. Sustained oscillations, and evidence for multiple attractors (i.e., different types of dynamics for the same model parameters but different initial conditions), occurred in the 4-strain model but not the 2-strain model. Strain replacement was also more pronounced in the 4-strain model, on account of the 4-strain model spreading prevalence more thinly across groups and thus enhancing competitive interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Simplifying assumptions like aggregation of serogroups can have significant impacts on dynamic model predictions. Modellers should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of aggregation when formulating models for multi-strain pathogens.

[POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING ALLOGENEIC ANTIMENINGOCOCCUS FRESH FROZEN PLASMA AND CONTROL OF ITS QUALITY INDICATORS].

Results of the study identifying the titer of natural antimeningococcus antibodies serogroup B of non-immunized donor population of Zhytomyr Region aged 18-54 years, all AB0 blood groups are presented for further use of these results in the organization of the immune donation. Indicators of quality of antimeningococcus fresh frozen plasma obtained by different methods are characterized.

Characterization of the meningococcal serogroup X capsule N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase.

Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, Y, W135 and X are responsible for most cases of meningococcal meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X has recently emerged as a contributor to outbreaks of disease in Africa, but there is currently no vaccine against serogroup X. Understanding of the biosynthesis of the serogroup X capsular polysaccharide would provide useful tools for vaccine production. The serogroup X polysaccharide is a homopolymer of (α1→4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-1-phosphate. It has been shown that the gene cluster xcbABC encodes synthesis of this polysaccharide. The xcbA gene product has significant homology with sacB, which is responsible for synthesis of the Neisseria serogroup A capsular polysaccharide, an (α1→6)-N-acetylmannosamine-1-phosphate homopolymer. The xcbA protein also shares homology with the catalytic domain of human N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphoryltransferase, a key enzyme in the mannose-6-phosphate receptor pathway. In this study, we show that xcbA in the appropriate background is sufficient for the synthesis of N. meningitidis serogroup X polysaccharide. By ELISA we detected polysaccharide in fractions of Escherichia coli expressing the xcbA gene. We isolated polysaccharide from an E. coli strain expressing XcbA and demonstrated that this polysaccharide has a (13)C-NMR spectrum identical to that of polysaccharide isolated from N. meningitidis Group X. We also demonstrate that the purified XcbA protein is an N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase that transfers N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate from UDP-GlcNAc to the 4-hydroxyl of an N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate oligosaccharide. Oligosaccharides fluorescently labeled at the aglycon are extended by XcbA only after the 4-phosphate occupying the non-reducing GlcNAc has been removed. The minimum size of fluorescent acceptors is a trisaccharide.

Avidity of IgG antibodies against meningococcal serogroup a polysaccharide and correlations with bactericidal activity in sera from meningitis patients and controls from Ethiopia.

Meningococcal meningitis is a significant global health challenge, especially for sub-Saharan area: the African meningitis belt. Neisseria meningitidis of serogroup A (MenA) is responsible for the large number of epidemics that have been recorded in these countries. To determine the level of antibodies against meningococcal A polysaccharide (APS) that correlates with protection against MenA disease in the African meningitis belt, it may be important to consider antibody avidity along with quantity. In this study, two ELISA methods using the chaotropic agent ammonium thiocyanate were compared and employed to measure avidity indexes (AI) of IgG antibodies against APS in controls and in acute and convalescent sera from Ethiopian meningococcal patients. High statistical correlations between the AIs determined by the two methods were observed. The geometric mean AI (GMAI) increased with time from acute to convalescent sera indicating affinity maturation. GMAI was significantly higher in convalescent sera from the MenA patients and in sera from the controls than in acute sera from patients with meningococcal disease. A significant correlation between serum bactericidal activity titres (SBA) and concentration of IgG antibodies against APS was observed; however, our results did not indicate that determination of antibody avidities by the thiocyanate elution method gave a better correlation with SBA than anti-APS IgG concentrations determined by the standard ELISA method.

Investigating the immunodominance of carbohydrate antigens in a bivalent unimolecular glycoconjugate vaccine against serogroup A and C meningococcal disease.

Multicomponent constructs, obtained by coupling different glycans to the carrier protein, have been proposed as a way to co-deliver multiple surface carbohydrates targeting different strains of one pathogen and reduce the number of biomolecules in the formulation of multivalent vaccines. To assess the feasibility of this approach for anti-microbial vaccines and investigate the potential immunodominance of one carbohydrate antigen over the others in these constructs, we designed a bivalent unimolecular vaccine against serogroup A (MenA) and C (MenC) meningococci, with the two different oligomers conjugated to same molecule of carrier protein (CRM197). The immune response elicited in mice by the bivalent MenAC construct was compared with the ones induced by the monovalent MenA and MenC vaccines and their combinations. After the second dose, the bivalent construct induced good levels of anti-MenA and anti-MenC antibodies with respect to the controls. However, the murine sera from the MenAC construct exhibited good anti-MenC bactericidal activity, and very low anti-MenA functionality when compared to the monovalent controls. This result was explained with the diverse relative avidities against MenA and MenC polysaccharides, which were measured in the generated sera. The immunodominant effect of the MenC antigen was fully overcome following the third immunization, when sera endowed with higher avidity and excellent bactericidal activity against both MenA and MenC expressing strains were elicited. Construction of multicomponent glycoconjugate vaccines against microbial pathogens is a feasible approach, but particular attention should be devoted to study and overcome possible occurrence of immune interference among the carbohydrates.

First case of meningococcal meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Z' in Slovenia, December 2010.

We report here on the identification of the first meningococcal meningitis case in Slovenia caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Z' in December 2010. The 19-year-old patient had not left the country during the incubation period. The patient was hospitalised and given the antibiotic treatment with cefotaxime very early in the course of the disease. The patient did not develop any complications during hospitalisation and was discharged on 5 January 2011.

The complex pattern of cytokines in serum from patients with meningococcal septic shock. Association between interleukin 6, interleukin 1, and fatal outcome.

Serum samples from patients with meningococcal disease were examined for the presence of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and LPS. Median serum concentration of IL-6 was 1,000 times higher in patients with septic shock (189 ng/ml) than in patients with bacteriaemia, meningitis, or combined septic shock and meningitis. 11 of 21 patients with serum levels greater than 3.0 ng/ml died, whereas all 58 patients with serum levels at less than or equal to 3.0 ng/ml, survived. All four patients with serum IL-6 levels greater than 750 ng/ml, died. IL-1 was detected in serum from three patients who also had high serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and LPS, and rapidly fatal courses. IL-6 appeared to be released into serum later than TNF-alpha, and was detected in serum for up to 36 h. The half-life of IL-6 and TNF-alpha was calculated to be 103 +/- 27 min and 70 +/- 11 min, respectively. These data indicate that a complex pattern of cytokines exists in serum from patients with meningococcal septic shock, and that the release of IL-6 and IL-1, in addition to TNF-alpha, is associated with fatal outcome.

Immunogenicity and tolerability in infants of a New Zealand epidemic strain meningococcal B outer membrane vesicle vaccine.

BACKGROUND: An outer membrane vesicle meningococcal vaccine (MeNZB), was developed for the New Zealand epidemic strain of Neisseria meningitidis B:4:P1.7-2,4. METHODS: A phase II, randomized, observer blind, controlled study evaluating the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of MeNZB administered with routine New Zealand immunizations at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 5 months of age (n = 375). Group 1 (n = 250) received 25 mug MeNZB and routine immunizations with a fourth MeNZB dose given at 10 months (n = 51). Group 2 (n = 125) received routine immunizations only. Sero-response was a > or =4-fold rise in vaccine strain serum bactericidal antibody titer compared with baseline or a titer of at least 1:8 for baselines <1:4. Reactogenicity was monitored for 7 days after vaccination. RESULTS: Sero-response in Group 1 was achieved in 53% (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 46-59, n = 239) and 69% (95% CI: 54-80, n = 45) with geometric mean antibody titers of 9 (95% CI: 7-10) and 22 (95% CI: 12-39) after the third and fourth doses, respectively. No negative interference by MeNZB on routine immunizations was detected. There were no serious adverse events judged to be vaccine related. CONCLUSIONS: In this group of New Zealand infants, 4 MeNZB doses were required to demonstrate titers comparable with those achieved after 3 doses in older children. MeNZB was safe when used concomitantly with routine New Zealand immunizations to 5 months of age.

Evidence for Rise in Meningococcal Serogroup C Bactericidal Antibody Titers in the Absence of Booster Vaccination in Previously Vaccinated Children.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) conjugate vaccines in the United Kingdom and Australia led to an impressive decline in the incidence of invasive disease. This study examined bactericidal antibody titers over time in the UK and Australian children who received a MenC conjugate vaccine in early childhood to test the hypothesis that ongoing boosting of immunity in the absence of further doses of vaccine in some children may contribute to ongoing protection from disease. METHODS: Serum bactericidal assay using rabbit complement (rSBA) titers at each follow-up visit were compared with all preceding visits to identify any ≥4-fold rise in titers. The proportion of children with a ≥4-fold rise in rSBA titers in paired sera at any visit-to-visit comparison was calculated. RESULTS: Of 392 children with at least one set of paired sera in the Australian cohort, 72 (18.4%) had a ≥4-fold increase in rSBA titers at least one year after vaccination, including six children (1.5%) who showed evidence of boosting twice. Of 234 children with at least one set of paired sera in the UK cohort, 39 (16.7%) had a ≥4-fold rise in rSBA titers at least one year after vaccination including 2 children (0.9%) with evidence of boosting twice. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial minority of children immunized with MenC conjugate vaccine in early childhood had a rise in bactericidal antibody titers in the years after immunization in the absence of booster vaccination. This occurs most commonly at around 6-7 years of age corresponding to school entry and greater social mixing and might indicate exposure to MenC carriage.

A protocol for a systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of Loop-mediated-isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) in diagnosis of invasive meningococcal disease in children.

BACKGROUND: Meningococcal disease (MD) is notoriously difficult to diagnose in the early stages of the illness and presents similarly to many self-limiting viral infections. This mandates a cautious approach to diagnosis and initial management of suspected MD with many children receiving precautionary broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Despite this approach, some children are still diagnosed late. In the last 10 years, there have been advances in nucleic acid amplification techniques, and there is now a rapid test that can detect meningococcal DNA in under 30 min. This Loop-mediated-isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) technology may make it possible to diagnose MD at initial presentation thereby greatly improving outcomes and minimising harms through unnecessary treatment. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP technology in cases of suspected MD. The review has been registered with PROSPERO [CRD42017078026]. METHODS: To identify relevant studies, we will search MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and The Cochrane Library. In additional, we will hand-search reference lists and grey literature including contacting the manufacturers of commercially available LAMP tests for MD for any unpublished data. Two reviewers will independently screen study eligibility and extract data. Methodological quality will be assessed, by two authors, according to the revised tool for the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2); any discrepancies will be resolved by a third author. The following test characteristics will be extracted into 2 × 2 tables for all included studies: true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives. Study-specific estimates of sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals will be displayed in forest plots. To investigate heterogeneity, we will include covariates such as age, sample type, and study type into a bivariate random-effects model. DISCUSSION: This review will help determine the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP technology in diagnosing MD from blood, CSF and throat swabs in children. The data will help to define where in the diagnostic pathway LAMP could be useful including potential as a point-of-care test for children at first presentation.

Association between high levels of blood macrophage migration inhibitory factor, inappropriate adrenal response, and early death in patients with severe sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Identification of new therapeutic targets remains an imperative goal to improve the morbidity and mortality associated with severe sepsis and septic shock. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory cytokine and counterregulator of glucocorticoids, has recently emerged as a critical mediator of innate immunity and experimental sepsis, and it is an attractive new target for the treatment of sepsis. METHODS: Circulating concentrations of MIF were measured in 2 clinical trial cohorts of 145 pediatric and adult patients who had severe sepsis or septic shock caused predominantly by infection with Neisseria meningitidis or other gram-negative bacteria, to study the kinetics of MIF during sepsis, to analyze the interplay between MIF and other mediators of sepsis or stress hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol), and to determine whether MIF is associated with patient outcome. RESULTS: Circulating concentrations of MIF were markedly elevated in 96% of children and adults who had severe sepsis or septic shock, and they remained elevated for several days. MIF levels were correlated with sepsis severity scores, presence of shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, urine output, blood pH, and lactate and cytokine levels. High levels of MIF were associated with a rapidly fatal outcome. Moreover, in meningococcal sepsis, concentrations of MIF were positively correlated with adrenocorticotropic hormone levels and negatively correlated with cortisol levels and the cortisol:adrenocorticotropic hormone ratio, suggesting an inappropriate adrenal response to sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: MIF is markedly and persistently up-regulated in children and adults with gram-negative sepsis and is associated with parameters of disease severity, with dysregulated pituitary-adrenal function in meningococcal sepsis, and with early death.

Severe myalgia of the lower extremities as the first clinical feature of meningococcal purpura fulminans.

In patients with meningococcal infection, devastating presentations, such as purpura fulminans, which can progress to extensive tissue necrosis of the limbs and digits, have a significant social impact. The case presented herein illustrates such a phenomenon in a patient who developed bilateral necrosis of the lower extremities as a result of infection with Neisseria meningitis. We emphasize that severe myalgia was the first clinical manifestation of meningococcal purpura fulminans in our case. However, myalgia has typically been overlooked and undervalued as an early clinical feature of meningococcal sepsis. Early recognition and prompt initial antibiotic therapy continue to be the cornerstones of the successful management of this dramatic disease, reducing morbidity and mortality.

Large scale genomic analysis shows no evidence for pathogen adaptation between the blood and cerebrospinal fluid niches during bacterial meningitis.

Recent studies have provided evidence for rapid pathogen genome diversification, some of which could potentially affect the course of disease. We have previously described such variation seen between isolates infecting the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a single patient during a case of bacterial meningitis. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of paired isolates from the blood and CSF of 869 meningitis patients to determine whether such variation frequently occurs between these two niches in cases of bacterial meningitis. Using a combination of reference-free variant calling approaches, we show that no genetic adaptation occurs in either invaded niche during bacterial meningitis for two major pathogen species, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. This study therefore shows that the bacteria capable of causing meningitis are already able to do this upon entering the blood, and no further sequence change is necessary to cross the blood-brain barrier. Our findings place the focus back on bacterial evolution between nasopharyngeal carriage and invasion, or diversity of the host, as likely mechanisms for determining invasiveness.

Determination of human transferrin concentrations in mouse models of neisserial infection.

Transferrin constitutes the major protein involved in the transport of iron from the sites of absorption to the sites of storage and utilization. Despite the high affinity of transferrin for iron, most bacterial pathogens, such as the human restricted Neisseria meningitidis, have developed iron acquisition mechanisms. Several animal models of bacterial infection that include the exogenous supply of human transferrin have been implemented, and tests using transgenic mouse models are underway. Here we describe an ELISA sandwich procedure based on two monoclonal antibodies with negligible cross-reactivity to murine transferrin, to estimate human transferrin concentrations in mouse sera. The assay can detect as little as 10 ng/ml of human transferrin with coefficients of variation ranging from 1.6% to 4.4% (intra-assay) and 3.8% to 5% (inter-assay). The recovery values range from 90% to 110% in the assay working range (25-400 ng/ml). Human transferrin concentrations estimated in sera from 41 human transferrin transgenic mice ranged from 2 to 14 microg/ml. Further estimations of human transferrin levels in mouse sera of a previously described mouse model of N. meningitidis were also carried out. The intraperitoneal injection of 8 mg of human transferrin achieved a sustained value of human transferrin in mouse sera in the range of 1-2mg/ml over the first 24h, indicating that bacteria reaching the blood stream during this time would be exposed to levels of hTf found in normal human serum.

Laboratory confirmation of a suspicious meningococcal meningitis death case.

A suspicious meningococcal meningitis death case was reported to the Beijing CDC. The blood specimen was analyzed via multi-PCR and MLST. 6 isolates from close contacts were analyzed via PFGE and MLST. According to the results of the above analyses, the cause of this case was identified as a serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis, which, in terms of sequence typing, belonged the ST7 group.

A Seroepidemiological Study of Serogroup A Meningococcal Infection in the African Meningitis Belt.

The pattern of epidemic meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt may be influenced by the background level of population immunity but this has been measured infrequently. A standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibodies was established at five centres within the meningitis belt. Antibody concentrations were then measured in 3930 individuals stratified by age and residence from six countries. Seroprevalence by age was used in a catalytic model to determine the force of infection. Meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high in each country but showed heterogeneity across the meningitis belt. The geometric mean concentration (GMC) was highest in Ghana (9.09 µg/mL [95% CI 8.29, 9.97]) and lowest in Ethiopia (1.43 µg/mL [95% CI 1.31, 1.57]) on the margins of the belt. The force of infection was lowest in Ethiopia (λ = 0.028). Variables associated with a concentration above the putative protective level of 2 µg/mL were age, urban residence and a history of recent vaccination with a meningococcal vaccine. Prior to vaccination with the serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high across the African meningitis belt and yet the region remained susceptible to epidemics.