title: Pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria species in the African meningitis belt.
abstract: Neisseria meningitidis, together with the non-pathogenic Neisseria species (NPNs), are members of the complex microbiota of the human pharynx. This paper investigates the influence of NPNs on the epidemiology of meningococcal infection.
  
  
  
  Neisseria isolates were collected during 18 surveys conducted in six countries in the African meningitis belt between 2010 and 2012 and characterized at the rplF locus to determine species and at the variable region of the fetA antigen gene. Prevalence and risk factors for carriage were analyzed.
  
  
  
  A total of 4694 isolates of Neisseria were obtained from 46,034 pharyngeal swabs, a carriage prevalence of 10.2% (95% CI, 9.8-10.5). Five Neisseria species were identified, the most prevalent NPN being Neisseria lactamica. Six hundred and thirty-six combinations of rplF/fetA_VR alleles were identified, each defined as a Neisseria strain type. There was an inverse relationship between carriage of N. meningitidis and of NPNs by age group, gender and season, whereas carriage of both N. meningitidis and NPNs was negatively associated with a recent history of meningococcal vaccination.
  
  
  
  Variations in the prevalence of NPNs by time, place and genetic type may contribute to the particular epidemiology of meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt.
authors.affiliation: Centre pour les Vaccins en Développement, Bamako, Mali; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: kanny.diallo@zoo.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kanny
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.affiliation: Centre pour les Vaccins en Développement, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Youssouf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Timbine
authors.affiliation: Centre pour les Vaccins en Développement, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Boubou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tamboura
authors.affiliation: Centre pour les Vaccins en Développement, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Samba O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Sow
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: Bassira
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Issaka
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: Ibrahim D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Dano
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Marietou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Aldiouma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Adane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihret
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Oumer A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aseffa
authors.affiliation: Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana.
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Quaye
authors.affiliation: Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana.
authors.forename: Akalifa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bugri
authors.affiliation: Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osei
authors.affiliation: Centre de Support en Santé International, N'Djamena, Chad.
authors.forename: Kadidja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gamougam
authors.affiliation: Centre de Support en Santé International, N'Djamena, Chad.
authors.forename: Lodoum
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mbainadji
authors.affiliation: Centre de Support en Santé International, N'Djamena, Chad.
authors.forename: Doumagoum M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Daugla
authors.affiliation: University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Galadima
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gadzama
authors.affiliation: University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Zailani B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Sambo
authors.affiliation: University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Babatunji A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Omotara
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rebbetts
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Eleanor R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Arouna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woukeu
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Manigart
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Martin C J
authors.initials: MCJ
authors.lastname: Maiden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009343:Neisseria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C093120:FrpB protein, bacteria
keywords: African meningitis belt; Non-meningococcal Neisseria; Pharyngeal carriage