title: Laboratory evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occur periodically in the African 'meningitis belt' and are mainly, but not only, due to serogroup A.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested a dipstick as a rapid detection test (RDT) to detect serogroup A using 401 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The detection limits were 10(5) CFU/ml with sensitivity and specificity for detecting serogroup A in CSF samples of 88% and 99%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new RDT can be used in field surveillance of meningococcal meningitis to help characterize meningitis cases particularly after introduction of the conjugate vaccine against serogroup A.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infection Unit, National Reference Centre for Meningococci, and WHO Collaborating Centre for Meningococci, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terrade
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: Farida
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nato
authors.forename: Muhamed-Kheir
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
keywords: Diagnosis; Meningitis; Neisseria meningitidis; Rapid test; Serogroup A