Major outbreaks of meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A occur frequently in the developing world, especially in the African "meningitis belt". The largest meningococcal meningitis epidemic was recorded in West Africa in 1996, with more than 150,000 cases and 15,000 deaths. In response to these epidemics, CDC, in collaboration with its partners, developed a series of activities to improve detection and control of epidemic meningitis in Africa. At the Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch (MSPB) many of these activities are carried out through the World Health Organization Collaborative Center for Prevention and Control of Epidemic Meningitis. MSPB has taken a leading role in developing sustainable laboratory capacity in Africa for isolation, identification, and molecular subtyping of N. meningitidis. Following the initial assessment visits to 6 national laboratories, we have conducted 5 workshops on standardized approach to diagnose bacterial meningitis in Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, and have developed and field tested a manual for laboratory diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. MSPB has also been involved in operational research in multiple countries, including Egypt. In 1998, surveillance program for meningitis and encephalitis was initiated in Egypt. We are currently addressing the issue of a large number of culture negative, clinically suspect cases of bacterial meningitis by using PCR-based assays directly on clinical specimens.
Learning Objectives: Major outbreaks of meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A occur frequently in the developing world, especially in the African "meningitis belt". The largest meningococcal meningitis epidemic was recorded in West Africa in 1996, with more than 150,000 cases and 15,000 deaths.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.