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Meningitis serogroup W135 outbreak, Burkina Faso, 2002

Nicolas Nathan1, Angela M C Rose, Dominique Legros

  • 1Epicentre, Paris, France.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|June 8, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The 2002 Burkina Faso epidemic of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 disproportionately affected young children. The Pastorex diagnostic test showed good accuracy for identifying this serious bacterial meningitis.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • The 2002 Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 epidemic in Burkina Faso was significant.
  • Young children under 5 years old experienced the highest attack rates during this outbreak.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe cases of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 during the 2002 epidemic in a specific district.
  • To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Pastorex test for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135.

Main Methods:

  • Case description from a single district in Burkina Faso.
  • Performance evaluation of the Pastorex test against culture or PCR for Neisseria meningitidis identification.

Main Results:

  • The Pastorex test demonstrated good sensitivity (84%) and specificity (89%) in identifying Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135.
  • Analysis focused on cases from one district during the epidemic.

Conclusions:

  • The Pastorex test is a reliable tool for diagnosing Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135, especially in resource-limited settings.
  • Understanding the epidemiology of meningococcal disease, particularly in vulnerable populations like young children, is crucial for public health interventions.

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