Association of respiratory tract infection symptoms and air humidity with meningococcal carriage in Burkina Faso

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health 2008-12, Vol.13 (12), p.1543-1552
• Main Authors: Mueller, Judith E, Yaro, Seydou, Madec, Yoann, Somda, Paulin K, Idohou, Régina S, Njanpop Lafourcade, Berthe-Marie, Drabo, Aly, Tarnagda, Zekiba, Sangaré, Lassana, Traoré, Yves, Fontanet, Arnaud, Gessner, Bradford D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Africa; Afrique; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Burkina Faso - epidemiology; carrier state; Carrier State - microbiology; Child; Child, Preschool; clima; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; epidemias; estado portador; facteurs de risque; factores riesgo; Female; General aspects; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Humidity; infecciones tracto respiratorio; infections des voies respiratoires; Infectious diseases; le climat; Logistic Models; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Meningitis; Meningococcal Infections - transmission; Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A; Respiratory diseases; respiratory tract infections; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Risk Factors; Serotyping; weather; Young Adult; África; épidémies; état de porteur
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2008.02165.x

To evaluate risk factors for meningococcal carriage and carriage acquisition in the African meningitis belt, comparing epidemic serogroup A (NmA) to non-epidemic serogroups. During the non-epidemic meningitis season of 2003, pharyngeal swabs were taken at five monthly visits in a representative population sample (N = 488) of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso (age 4-29 years) and analysed by culture. Standardized questionnaires were administered. In 2006, a similar study was performed in 624 individuals (age 1-39 years) during an NmA meningitis epidemic. We evaluated serogroup-specific risk factors for carriage, carriage acquisition and clearance using multivariate logistic and Poisson regression, and a Cox proportional hazard model. The prevalence of NmA carriage (current or recent pharyngitis or rhinitis) was 16% (31%) vs. 0% (9%) in the epidemic vs. the hyperendemic setting. During the epidemic situation, NmA carriage was significantly associated with recent sore throat (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 3.41) and current rhinitis (OR 2.65). During the non-epidemic meningitis season in 2003, air humidity (20-39% and greater-than-or-equal40%, compared to