Molecular epidemiology of epidemic bacterial meningitis in Africa

• Research unit: TPH
• Project number: 2.04

Key words (English)

Meningitis, Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumoniae, molecular epidemiology

Short description (English)

The highest burden of meningococcal disease in the world is in sub-Saharan Africa, in an area that is referred to as the meningitis belt. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we perform long-term analyses of the major causative agents of bacterial meningitis and the dynamics of carriage of Neisseria meningitidis in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana.

Project aims (English)

The purpose of the studies is firstly, to determine whether patterns of carriage during inter-epidemic and pre-epidemic periods can help to elucidate the precipitating factors of major epidemics of meningococcal meningitis, and secondly, to provide background information to underpin clinical trials of new meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccine formulations in Africa.

Publications / Results (English)

Microheterogeneity of serogroup A subgroup III Neisseria meningitidis during an outbreak in Northern Ghana. Gagneux, S., Hodgson, A., Ehrhard, I., Morelli, G., Genton, B., Smith, T., Tanner, M., Binka, F., Achtman, M., and Pluschke, G. Trop. Med & Int. Health, 5, 280 (2000)

Risk factors for meningococcal meningitis in northern Ghana. Hodgson, A., Smith, T., Gagneux, S., Adjuik, M., Pluschke, G., Mensah, N. K., Binka, F. and Genton, B., Trans. Royal Soc. Med. & Hygiene, 95, 477 - 480 (2001)

Survival and sequelae of meningococcal meningitis in Ghana. Hodgson A, Smith T, Gagneux S, Akumah I, Adjuik M, Pluschke G, Binka F, and Genton B. Int J Epidemiol., 30, 1440 - 1446 (2001)

Fit genotypes and escape variants of subgroup III Neisseria meningitidis during three pandemics of epidemic meningitis. Zhu P, van der Ende A, Falush D, Brieske N, Morelli G, Linz B, Popovic T, Schuurman IG, Adegbola RA, Zurth K, Gagneux S, Platonov AE, Riou JY, Caugant DA, Nicolas P, Achtman M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98, 5234-9 (2001)

Prospective study of a serogroup X Neisseria meningitidis outbreak in Northern Ghana. Gagneux, S., Hodgson, A., Smith, T., Wirth, T., Ehrhard, I., Morelli, G., Genton, B., Binka, F., Achtman, M. and Pluschke, G., J. Infect. Diseases, 185, 618-626 (2002)

Clonal Groupings in serogroup X Neisseria meningitidis. Gagneux, S., Hodgson, A., Wirth, T., Ehrhard, I., Morelli, G., Kriz, P., Genton, B., Smith, T., Binka, F., Pluschke, G. and Achtman, M., Emerging Infectious Diseases, 8, 462 - 466 (2002)