Serogroup W Meningitis Outbreak at the Subdistrict Level, Burkina Faso, 2012.

In 2012, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W caused a widespread meningitis epidemic in Burkina Faso. We describe the dynamic of the epidemic at the subdistrict level. Disease detection at this scale allows for a timelier response, which is critical in the new epidemiologic landscape created in Africa by the N. meningitidis A conjugate vaccine.

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W, Burkina Faso, 2012.

In 2010, Burkina Faso became the first country to introduce meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine (PsA-TT). During 2012, Burkina Faso reported increases in Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W, raising questions about whether these cases were a natural increase in disease or resulted from serogroup replacement after PsA-TT introduction. We analyzed national surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of serogroup W and genotyped 61 serogroup W isolates. In 2012, a total of 5,807 meningitis cases were reported through enhanced surveillance, of which 2,353 (41%) were laboratory confirmed. The predominant organism identified was N. meningitidis serogroup W (62%), and all serogroup W isolates characterized belonged to clonal complex 11. Although additional years of data are needed before we can understand the epidemiology of serogroup W after PsA-TT introduction, these data suggest that serogroup W will remain a major cause of sporadic disease and has epidemic potential, underscoring the need to maintain high-quality case-based meningitis surveillance after PsA-TT introduction.

Sentinel surveillance of influenza in Burkina Faso: identification of circulating strains during 2010-2012.

BACKGROUND: Although influenza surveillance has recently been improved in some sub-Saharan African countries, no information is yet available from Burkina Faso. OBJECTIVES: Our study was the first to determine the prevalence of influenza viruses circulating in Burkina Faso through a sentinel surveillance system. METHODS: We conducted sentinel surveillance with oropharyngeal (OP) swabs collected from outpatients (1 month to 83 years) from six sites in Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou, among patients meeting the WHO/CDC case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI; fever ≥38°C, and cough and/or sore throat in the absence of other diagnosis) from July 2010 to May 2012. Influenza viruses were detected by real-time RT-PCR using CDC primers, probes, and protocols. RESULTS: The first three ILI cases were enrolled each day; of 881 outpatients with ILI enrolled and sampled, 58 (6.6%) tested positive for influenza viruses (29 influenza A and 29 influenza B). Among the influenza A viruses, 55.2% (16/29) were influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and 44.8% (13/29) were seasonal A (H3N2). No cases of seasonal A/H1N1 were detected. Patients within 0-5 years and 6-14 years were the most affected, comprising 41.4% and 22.4% laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, respectively. Influenza infections occurred during both the dry, dusty Harmattan months from November to March and the rainy season from June to October with peaks in January and August. CONCLUSIONS: This surveillance was the first confirming the circulation of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09, A/H3N2, and influenza B viruses in humans in Burkina Faso.