title: Molecular surveillance of meningococcal meningitis in Africa.
abstract: Analysis of meningococcal strains recovered from outbreaks and epidemics in the African meningitis belt, using molecular methods, has demonstrated for nearly 20 years the dominance among serogroup A organisms of a single clone complex, the sequence type 5 (ST-5) complex. However, a shift was observed since the mid-1990s when ST-5 gradually was replaced by ST-7 in all countries of the region. Since 2001, outbreaks caused by serogroup W135 strains belonging to the ST-11 complex became an additional problem. Monitoring of the clones responsible for meningococcal disease provides important insights on the biology and epidemiology of this most serious pathogen.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. dominique.caugant@fhi.no
authors.forename: Dominique A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Caugant
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolas
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D038582:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification