title: Pharyngeal carriage of serogroup W135 Neisseria meningitidis in Hajjees and their family contacts in Morocco, Oman and Sudan.
abstract: In 2000 the global outbreak that began in Saudi Arabia was caused by a W135:2a:P1.5,2 strain of Neisseria meningitidis belonging to the ET-37 complex and to ST-11. There was concern that introduction of this epidemic clone (EC) might lead to a wave of outbreaks in the African meningitis belt. The WHO therefore initiated studies of meningococcal carriage among pilgrims and their family contacts in Morocco, Oman and Sudan, 3 to 12 months after the Hajj 2000. In Morocco, 1186 persons were swabbed 3 times. Ninety-five meningococcal strains were isolated from 2.7% of the specimens. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that 32 (33.6%) were identical with the EC. In Sudan, 5 strains identical with the EC were obtained after sampling 285 persons. In Oman, among 18 meningococcal strains isolated from 399 subjects, 11 (61.1%) belonged to the EC. The important pharyngeal carriage of W135 (EC) and its role in the 2001-2002 outbreaks in Burkina Faso argues for the necessity of reinforcing surveillance, and adapting and planning responses in Africa and the Middle East using the most appropriate vaccine.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Meningococci, 13998 Marseilles, France. imtssa.meningo@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ait M'barek
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Awaidy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Busaidy
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Issa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahjour
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mölling
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Caugant
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olcén
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santamaria
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005192:Family Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009018:Morocco; D038582:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009850:Oman; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012703:Serotyping; D013397:Sudan