In most countries of the African “meningitis belt,” meningitis cases are reported to monitoring systems on a clinical basis. When the CSF samples are tested in the laboratory, a very high proportion (> 50%) test negative for the aetiologies that are usually sought (meningococci, pneumococci and haemophilus). The reasons for the negative tests could include improper clinical diagnosis, poor sample storage, poor sensitivity of laboratory techniques, meningitis caused by other microbes or viruses, or clinical pictures that indicate other pathologies (such as neurological malaria).
A study has therefore been planned to try to find the explanation for this low rate of biological confirmation of suspected meningitis cases. This study is important because many thousands of cases of suspected meningitis cases are reported every year.
The protocol has been developed by AMP and has been revised by the CERMES team so that it can accommodate the restrictions that exist in Niger. Patients have been admitted to the trial between February and July 2009 and complementary analyses will be carried out between October and December 2009. Biological samples and epidemiological information were collected between February and July 2009. The complementary analyses will be carried out in specialist laboratories (particularly virology laboratories) between October and December 2009. The details concerning the pathogens (notably viruses) that will be investigated have not yet been finalised.
