title: The first large epidemic of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup W135, Burkina Faso, 2002.
abstract: In 2001 a significant proportion of cases of meningococcal meningitis toward the end of a serogroup A epidemic in Niger and Burkina Faso was found to be caused by serogroup W135 meningococci. The World Health Organization put in place in several African countries an extended surveillance scheme in preparation for a possible epidemic situation. In January 2002, the first large epidemic of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup W135 started in Burkina Faso, resulting in more than 12,000 cases and 1400 deaths. We report here the results of the laboratory-based surveillance and the characteristics of the epidemic clone.
authors.affiliation: WHO Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
authors.forename: Béhima
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koumaré
authors.forename: Rasmata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ouedraogo-Traoré
authors.forename: Idrissa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sanou
authors.forename: Adamou A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: Idrissa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sow
authors.forename: Paul-Samson
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lusamba
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Moumouni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dabal
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.forename: Mohamed-Mahmoud
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hacen
authors.forename: Antoine B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kaboré
authors.forename: Dominique A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Caugant
mesh_terms: D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*; D038582:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009548:Niger / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods