Journal Article

Rapid Laboratory Identification of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C as the Cause of an Outbreak — Liberia, 2017

Gwesa, Gulu, Patel, Jaymin C., Taweh, Fahn, Bozio, Catherine, Wang, Xin, Hardy, Patrick, Schier, Joshua, Williams, Desmond E., Potts, Caelin C., McNamara, Lucy A., Arthur, Ray R., Vuong, Jeni, Chang, Arthur, Kohar, Henry, Fuller, Serena, Fallah, Mosoka, Walker, Yatta Vera, Fox, LeAnne M., Winchell, Jonas M., George, Josiah, Redd, John T., Clement, Peter, Stone, Mardia, Clark, Thomas A., Whaley, Melissa, Jenkins, Laurel T., Freeman, Maxwell, Katawera, Victoria, Gbanya, Miatta Z., Thomas, Jerry, Diaz, Maureen H., Dokubo, E. Kainne, Waller, Jessica L., Nyenswah, Tolbert

2017

Overview

On April 25, 2017, a cluster of unexplained illness and deaths among persons who had attended a funeral during April 21-22 was reported in Sinoe County, Liberia (1). Using a broad initial case definition, 31 cases were identified, including 13 (42%) deaths. Twenty-seven cases were from Sinoe County (1), and two cases each were from Grand Bassa and Monsterrado counties, respectively. On May 5, 2017, initial multipathogen testing of specimens from four fatal cases using the Taqman Array Card (TAC) assay identified Neisseria meningitidis in all specimens. Subsequent testing using direct real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed N. meningitidis in 14 (58%) of 24 patients with available specimens and identified N. meningitidis serogroup C (NmC) in 13 (54%) patients. N. meningitidis was detected in specimens from 11 of the 13 patients who died; no specimens were available from the other two fatal cases. On May 16, 2017, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and the Ministry of Health of Liberia issued a press release confirming serogroup C meningococcal disease as the cause of this outbreak in Liberia.

• Publisher: Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,U.S. Government Printing Office,U.S. Center for Disease Control,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subject: Bacteria / Chemical analysis / Clinical Laboratory Services - statistics & numerical data / Cluster Analysis / Development and progression / Disease / Disease Outbreaks / Environmental health / Epidemics / Etiology / Fatalities / Fever / Full Report / Headaches / Humans / Illnesses / Infections / Laboratories / Lassa fever / Liberia - epidemiology / Medical laboratories / Meningitis / Meningitis, Meningococcal - epidemiology / Meningitis, Meningococcal - microbiology / Meningitis, Meningococcal - mortality / Meningococcal disease / Neisseria meningitidis / Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C - isolation & purification / Neurological disorders / Outbreaks / Pathogens / Polymerase chain reaction / Public health / Real time / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Sepsis / Septicemia / Time Factors / Urine / Vomiting