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Outbreak of Pneumococcal Meningitis, Paoua Subprefecture, Central African Republic, 2016-2017

Matthew E Coldiron, Oumar Touré, Thierry Frank

    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    |August 21, 2018
    PubMed

    Insights

    A 2016-2017 pneumococcal meningitis outbreak in the Central African Republic saw low case-fatality rates. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine campaigns reduced cases in young children.

    Area of Science:

    • Epidemiology
    • Infectious Disease
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • A significant outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis occurred in the Central African Republic during 2016-2017.
    • The outbreak involved 251 suspected cases, with 60 confirmed via latex agglutination testing.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To describe the epidemiology of the pneumococcal meningitis outbreak.
    • To evaluate the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine campaigns on disease distribution.

    Main Methods:

    • Case ascertainment through surveillance.
    • Laboratory confirmation using latex agglutination test.
    • Analysis of case distribution in relation to vaccination campaigns.

    Main Results:

    • The overall case-fatality rate for confirmed cases was 10%.
    • In regions with recent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine campaigns, a lower proportion of meningitis cases occurred in the youngest age groups.
    • This suggests a potential protective effect of the vaccine.

    Conclusions:

    • Pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks can be managed with relatively low case-fatality rates.
    • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines appear effective in reducing disease burden, particularly in vaccinated age cohorts.
    • Continued surveillance and vaccination efforts are crucial for controlling pneumococcal meningitis.
    Keywords:
    Central African RepublicStreptococcus pneumoniaebacteriameningitismeningitis/encephalitisoutbreakpneumococcal meningitispneumococcal vaccines

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