Epidemic Meningococcal Meningitis, Cameroon

摘要

To the Editor: In 2010, the city of Ngaoundéré in Cameroon experienced its fi rst reported epidemic of meningococcal meningitis. Ngaoundéré, with an estimated population of 180,000, is the main city in the Adamaoua region in northern Cameroon. The 2 northernmost regions of Cameroon, North and Far North, are considered to belong to the African meningitis belt (1) and are periodically affected by meningococcal meningitis outbreaks. However, the Adamaoua region had been spared because of its altitude, latitude, and low population density in comparison with the North and Far North regions. Fewer than 10 sporadic cases have been reported in the Adamaoua region every year