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Global Research Journal of Microbiology Vol.3(2) pp.30 –35 June 2013.
Available online http://www.globalresearchjournals.org/journal/grjm
Copyright ©2013 Global Research Journals
Case Study.
DYNAMICS OF CARRIAGE AND CASES OF MENINGITIS IN KASSENA- NANKANA DISTRICT IN THE UPPER EAST REGION, GHANA.
David Ngmenterebo* and Oliver Awo
University for Development Studies,Faculty of Applied Sciences ,Applied Biology Department
P. O. Box 24, Navrongo-UE/R Ghana -West Africa.
*Corresponding Author’s E-mai: datiereka@yahoo.com , Tel: +233243296528.
| Abstract |
Following the major meningitis epidemic that occurred in Kassena- Nankana district in 1997/98, colonization of meningococci in both carriage and cases have been studied and followed by mass vaccination with polysaccharide vaccine. Pneumococcal carriage is imperative in mitigating this Public health menace in Kassena-Nankana district since pneumococcal vaccine was readily out of reach. This is a preliminary research which was conducted in Kassena- Nankana district in the upper east region of Ghana examined 300 nasopharyngeal samples within the peak season of the disease (January-May, 2010). Out of this sample 50 % had no growth, 16.67 % carried Neisseria meningitidis (W135), 0% for Streptococcus pneumoniae while 33.33 % carried other organisms of less importance in this research. N meningitidis (W135) in the carriage sample accounted for 15.51 % of the disease out of 303 cases even in the fate 14 % of pneumococcal cases recorded with 69% and 1% for negative cases and other organisms respectively. The absence of S. pneumoniae in the nasopharynx yet responsible for a significant disease rate suggested that, the organism had colonized an alternative niche (possibly the nose) while causing the disease. This unraveled knowledge obtained from this research is an attempt to contribute to the dynamics of N meningitidis and S. pneumoniae in the district by taking into accounts the carriage and case rates of the two within the same study population. Even in the fate of pneumococcal meningitis outbreak, the study also observed the presences of a new hypervirulent meningococcal clone in the nasopharyngeal carriage and cases within this same season.
Keywords: Meningitis , Streptococcus pneumoniae , polysaccharide vaccine.