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BMC Infectious Diseases
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Prevalence and epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in Southern Ethiopia prior to implementation of MenAfriVac, a conjugate vaccine

Authors: Guro K. Bårnes, Paul A. Kristiansen, Demissew Beyene, Bereket Workalemahu, Paulos Fissiha, Behailu Merdekios, Jon Bohlin, Marie-Pierre Préziosi, Abraham Aseffa, Dominique A. Caugant

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Neisseria meningitidis colonizes humans and transmits mainly by asymptomatic carriage. We sought to determine the prevalence and epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in Ethiopia prior to the introduction of MenAfriVac, a serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

Methods

A cross-sectional meningococcal carriage study was conducted in Arba Minch, southern Ethiopia. A total of 7479 oropharyngeal samples were collected from 1 to 29 year old volunteers, between March and October, 2014. The swabs were cultured for N. meningitidis and Neisseria lactamica in Ethiopia. N. meningitidis isolates were confirmed and characterized by their serogroup, sequence type (ST) and PorA:FetA profile in Norway.

Results

Overall carriage prevalence was 6.6 %. There was no significant difference in overall carriage between male (6.7 %) and female (6.4 %) participants. Highest carriage prevalence (10.9 %) for females was found in the 15–19 years of age, while prevalence among males was highest (11.3 %) in the 20–24 age group. Non-groupable isolates dominated (76.4 %), followed by serogroups X (14.0 %) and W (5.9 %) isolates. No serogroup A was found. Most non-groupable isolates were ST-192. Serogroup W isolates were assigned to the ST-11 clonal complex, and serogroup X isolates to the ST-181 and ST-41/44 clonal complexes. Overall carriage prevalence of N. lactamica was 28.1 %. Carriage of N. meningitidis and N. lactamica varied depending on age and geographic area, but there was no association between carriage of the two species.

Conclusions

Epidemic strains of serogroups W and X were circulating in this area of Ethiopia. As no serogroup A was found among the carriage isolates the immediate impact of mass-vaccination with MenAfriVac on transmission of N. meningitidis in this population is expected to be marginal.
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Metadata
Title
Prevalence and epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in Southern Ethiopia prior to implementation of MenAfriVac, a conjugate vaccine
Authors
Guro K. Bårnes
Paul A. Kristiansen
Demissew Beyene
Bereket Workalemahu
Paulos Fissiha
Behailu Merdekios
Jon Bohlin
Marie-Pierre Préziosi
Abraham Aseffa
Dominique A. Caugant
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-1975-3

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