Molecular Characteristics and Epidemiology of Meningococcal Carriage, Burkina Faso, 2003

摘要

To describe Neisseria meningitidisstrains in the Afri-can meningitis belt in 2003, we obtained 2,389 oropharyn-geal swabs at 5 monthly visits a representative population sample (age range 4–29 years) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. A total of 152 carriage isolates were grouped, sero-typed, and genotyped. Most isolates were NG:NT:NST se-quence type (ST) 192 (63% of all N. meningitidis), followed by W135:2a:P1.5,2 of ST-11 (16%) and NG:15:P1.6 of ST-198 (12%). We also found ST-2881 (W135:NT:P1.5,2), ST-751 (X:NT:P1.5), and ST-4375 (Y:14:P1.5,2) but not sero-groups A or C. Estimated average duration of carriage was 30 days (95% confi dence interval 24–36 days). In the con-text of endemic group W135 and meningococcal A disease, we found substantial diversity in strains carried, including all strains currently involved in meningitis in this population, except for serogroup A. These fi ndings show the need for large samples and a longitudinal design for N. meningitidisserogroup A carriage studies