TY - JOUR
T1 - A seroepidemiological study of serogroup a meningococcal infection in the African meningitis belt
AU - Manigart, Olivier
AU - Trotter, Caroline
AU - Findlow, Helen
AU - Assefa, Abraham
AU - Mihret, Wude
AU - Demisse, Tesfaye Moti
AU - Yeshitela, Biruk
AU - Osei, Isaac
AU - Hodgson, Abraham
AU - Quaye, Stephen Laryea
AU - Sow, Samba
AU - Coulibaly, Mamadou
AU - Diallo, Kanny
AU - Traore, Awa
AU - Collard, Jean Marc
AU - Boukary, Rahamatou Moustapha
AU - Djermakoye, Oumarou
AU - Mahamane, Ali Elhaji
AU - Jusot, Jean François
AU - Sokhna, Cheikh
AU - Alavo, Serge
AU - Doucoure, Souleymane
AU - Ba, El Hadj
AU - Dieng, Mariétou
AU - Diallo, Aldiouma
AU - Daugla, Doumagoum Moto
AU - Omotara, Babatunji
AU - Chandramohan, Daniel
AU - Hassan-King, Musa
AU - Nascimento, Maria
AU - Woukeu, Arouna
AU - Borrow, Ray
AU - Stuart, James M.
AU - Greenwood, Brian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Manigart et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2016/2
Y1 - 2016/2
N2 - The pattern of epidemic meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt may be influenced by the background level of population immunity but this has been measured infrequently. A standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibodies was established at five centres within the meningitis belt. Antibody concentrations were then measured in 3930 individuals stratified by age and residence from six countries. Seroprevalence by age was used in a catalytic model to determine the force of infection. Meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high in each country but showed heterogeneity across the meningitis belt. The geometric mean concentration (GMC) was highest in Ghana (9.09 μg/mL [95% CI 8.29, 9.97]) and lowest in Ethiopia (1.43 μg/mL [95% CI 1.31, 1.57]) on the margins of the belt. The force of infection was lowest in Ethiopia (λ = 0.028). Variables associated with a concentration above the putative protective level of 2 μg/mL were age, urban residence and a history of recent vaccination with a meningococcal vaccine. Prior to vaccination with the serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high across the African meningitis belt and yet the region remained susceptible to epidemics.
AB - The pattern of epidemic meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt may be influenced by the background level of population immunity but this has been measured infrequently. A standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibodies was established at five centres within the meningitis belt. Antibody concentrations were then measured in 3930 individuals stratified by age and residence from six countries. Seroprevalence by age was used in a catalytic model to determine the force of infection. Meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high in each country but showed heterogeneity across the meningitis belt. The geometric mean concentration (GMC) was highest in Ghana (9.09 μg/mL [95% CI 8.29, 9.97]) and lowest in Ethiopia (1.43 μg/mL [95% CI 1.31, 1.57]) on the margins of the belt. The force of infection was lowest in Ethiopia (λ = 0.028). Variables associated with a concentration above the putative protective level of 2 μg/mL were age, urban residence and a history of recent vaccination with a meningococcal vaccine. Prior to vaccination with the serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high across the African meningitis belt and yet the region remained susceptible to epidemics.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84960510916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0147928
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0147928
M3 - Article
C2 - 26872255
AN - SCOPUS:84960510916
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 11
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 2
M1 - e0147928
ER -