%0 Journal Article %1 marc_laforce_epidemic_2009 %A LaForce, F Marc %A Ravenscroft, Neil %A Djingarey, Mamoudou %A Viviani, Simonetta %D 2009 %J Vaccine %K A, Africa, Clinical Conjugate Controlled Humans, Meningitis, Meningococcal Meningococcal, Neisseria Seasons, Serogroup Topic, Trials Vaccines, as meningitidis, %P B13--19 %R 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.04.062 %T Epidemic meningitis due to Group A Neisseria meningitidis in the African meningitis belt: a persistent problem with an imminent solution %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19477559 %V 27 Suppl 2 %X Epidemic meningitis in Africa remains an important and unresolved public health problem. Bacteriologic and epidemiologic data collected over the past 30 years have consistently established the importance of Group A Neisseria meningitidis as the dominant etiologic agent. The meningococcal Group A capsule is the major virulence factor; it is a polysaccharide comprised of a repeating unit of partly O-acetylated alpha-1,6-linked N-acetylmannosamine phosphate. Meningitis epidemics occur annually during the dry season (January to May) and stop with the first rains. Until now, control of these meningitis epidemics has relied on a reactive vaccination strategy with polysaccharide vaccines that is logistically complicated and has not put an end to recurrent epidemics. A meningococcal A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac) has been developed and tested in Phase II clinical trials in Africa. The vaccine has been shown to be safe and to generate a sustained immunologic response with functional antibody 20 times higher than that seen with polysaccharide vaccine. Widespread use of such a vaccine is likely to generate herd immunity and to put an end to Group A meningococcal epidemics.

@article{marc_laforce_epidemic_2009, abstract = {Epidemic meningitis in Africa remains an important and unresolved public health problem. Bacteriologic and epidemiologic data collected over the past 30 years have consistently established the importance of Group A Neisseria meningitidis as the dominant etiologic agent. The meningococcal Group A capsule is the major virulence factor; it is a polysaccharide comprised of a repeating unit of partly O-acetylated alpha-1,6-linked N-acetylmannosamine phosphate. Meningitis epidemics occur annually during the dry season {(January} to May) and stop with the first rains. Until now, control of these meningitis epidemics has relied on a reactive vaccination strategy with polysaccharide vaccines that is logistically complicated and has not put an end to recurrent epidemics. A meningococcal A conjugate vaccine {(MenAfriVac)} has been developed and tested in Phase {II} clinical trials in Africa. The vaccine has been shown to be safe and to generate a sustained immunologic response with functional antibody 20 times higher than that seen with polysaccharide vaccine. Widespread use of such a vaccine is likely to generate herd immunity and to put an end to Group A meningococcal epidemics.}, added-at = {2011-03-11T10:05:34.000+0100}, author = {{LaForce}, F Marc and Ravenscroft, Neil and Djingarey, Mamoudou and Viviani, Simonetta}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/20969d8a01bcb81036556b44f2c7f1099/jelias}, doi = {10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.04.062}, interhash = {2fd60b8e795da9dddf26bbb8edfcff21}, intrahash = {0969d8a01bcb81036556b44f2c7f1099}, issn = {1873-2518}, journal = {Vaccine}, keywords = {A, Africa, Clinical Conjugate Controlled Humans, Meningitis, Meningococcal Meningococcal, Neisseria Seasons, Serogroup Topic, Trials Vaccines, as meningitidis,}, month = jun, note = {{PMID:} 19477559}, pages = {B13--19}, shorttitle = {Epidemic meningitis due to Group A Neisseria meningitidis in the African meningitis belt}, timestamp = {2011-03-11T10:06:46.000+0100}, title = {Epidemic meningitis due to Group A Neisseria meningitidis in the African meningitis belt: a persistent problem with an imminent solution}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19477559}, volume = {27 Suppl 2}, year = 2009 }