Abstract
Aim
To describe the age-specific seroprevalence of serum bactericidal antibodies to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in Burkina Faso during the meningitis season of 2008 (non-epidemic year).
Methods
In February and March 2008, a representative sample of residents of urban Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso aged 0–59 years participated in a meningococcal seroprevalence (N=1008) and carriage (N=500) study. Serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) titres to strain F8238 (A:4:P1.20,9) were determined using standard methods (rabbit complement).
Results
The geometric mean titres (GMT) and prevalence of titres ≥8 varied substantially with age. In infants, only 4/107 (4%) had SBA titres >4, but 60% of 1-4 year olds had SBA titres ≥8. Both the GMTs and proportion with SBA titres ≥8 increased in each subsequent age group, peaking in 20-24 year olds (GMT = 488μg/ml, 90% with SBA titre ≥8) before declining in older adults. Provisional results indicate that overall meningococcal carriage prevalence was low (30 years [see abstract by Yaro et al.] The classic Goldschneider curves cannot be replicated in this population, with both high SBA titres and high (hyper-)endemic disease incidence being reported in individuals aged 5-29 years. The absence of detectable serogroup A carriage suggests that exposure to other organisms may induce serum bactericidal activity.
Translated title of the contribution | Seroprevalence of serum bactericidal antibodies to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in Burkina Faso |
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Original language | English |
Title of host publication | 10th Meeting of the EMGM European Meningococcal Disease Society, Manchester, UK |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2009 |