Predictors of immunity after a major serogroup W-135 meningococcal disease epidemic, Burkina Faso, 2002.
BACKGROUND
The African meningitis belt undergoes recurrent epidemics caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A. During 2002, Burkina Faso documented the first large serogroup W-135 (NmW-135) meningococcal disease epidemic. To understand the emergence of NmW-135, we investigated meningococcal carriage and immunity.


METHODS
Immediately after Burkina Faso's epidemic, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of meningococcal carriage and seroprevalence in an epidemic and a nonepidemic district. We identified predictors of elevated NmW-135 serum bactericidal activity (SBA), a functional correlate of protection, using multivariate logistic regression.


RESULTS
The NmW-135 carriage rate was 25.2% in the epidemic district and 3.4% in the nonepidemic district (P<.0001). Compared with residents of the nonepidemic district, those of the epidemic district had higher geometric mean titers of NmW-135 SBA (P<.0001). NmW-135 SBA titers>or=1:8, an estimated protective threshold, were observed in 60.4% and 34.0% of residents of the epidemic and nonepidemic district, respectively (P=.0002). In a multivariate model, current NmW-135 carriage, age, and residence in the epidemic district were independent predictors of having an NmW-135 SBA titer>or=1:8.


CONCLUSIONS
Extensive NmW-135 carriage and transmission in the epidemic area caused residents to acquire natural immunity. Serial carriage and seroprevalence surveys could establish the duration of immunity in the population. The persistent circulation of NmW-135 underscores the potential for periodic NmW-135 epidemics in Africa.
Raghunathan
Pratima L
PL
National Center for Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. pgr4@cdc.gov
Jones
Joshua D
JD
Tiendrebéogo
Sylvestre R M
SR
Sanou
Idrissa
I
Sangaré
Lassana
L
Kouanda
Seni
S
Dabal
Moumouni
M
Lingani
Clement
C
Elie
Cheryl M
CM
Johnson
Scott
S
Ari
Mary
M
Martinez
Joseph
J
Chatt
Julie
J
Sidibe
Kassim
K
Schmink
Susanna
S
Mayer
Leonard W
LW
Kondé
M Kader
MK
Djingarey
Mamoudou H
MH
Popovic
Tanja
T
Plikaytis
Brian D
BD
Carlone
George M
GM
Rosenstein
Nancy
N
Soriano-Gabarró
Montse
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D038582:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135 / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial