Epidemiology of Meningococcal Disease in Northeastern Africa
Abstract
Meningococcal meningitis occurs as major epidemics in the areas of Africa south of the Sahara designated by Lapeyssonnie as the meningitis belt. These outbreaks are generally sporadic and difficult or impossible to anticipate. Meningococcal disease is also a major public health problem in the Nile Valley from Alexandria, Egypt to the southern regions of the Sudan. Like the disease in the sub-Saharan region, meningococcal meningitis in the Nile Valley is seasonal and msot frequently caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A. However, meningitis in Egypt and the Sudan is unique in that it occurs in the large urban areas of Cairo and Khartoum with relatively minor variations in disease incidence between seasons; i.e. while epidemics tend to occur in these cities at approximately 5- to 10-year intervals, the incidence the year after a major outbreak is generally very high, and the number of cases seen at the infectious disease hospitals during any meningitis season is almost always considerable. This predictable availability of patients with meningococcal disease presented an unusual opportunity for investigating clinical, epidemiological, prohylactic, and therapeutic aspects of meningococcal infections. The Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 in Cairo has conducted a research program on meningococcal meningitis since 1968. These investigations were performed primarily at the Abbassia Fever Hospital in Cairo, but field studies were also carried out in Alexandria and Khartoum. Reprints.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA206076
Entities
People
- John E. Sippel
- N. I. Girgis
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Unit Three