September 5, 2006 Rapid Diagnosis Tests for Meningococcal
Meningitis New tests for rapid diagnosis of meningococcal
meningitis have been developed and validated by the Institut
Pasteur in Paris, and by CERMES in Niamey (Niger), an associated
institute in the International Network of Instituts Pasteur.
These tests can be used at the patient's bedside, and are
formatted in two dipsticks, which can diagnose 4 serogroups of
meningococcus (A, C, W135 and Y). They should help to improve
the alert in the African at risk countries at the onset of
outbreaks, and the patients' management. The results have just
been published in PloS Medicine. The development of new tools
for simple and quick diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis that
can be used at the patient’s bedside is a major challenge for
public health. Bacterial meningitis is indeed a health issue of
utmost importance in all countries within the "African
meningitis belt", which stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia (21
countries constituting a population at risk of