Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38793712›Full record

ArticleVaccines2024

The Bacterial Meningitis Epidemic in Banalia in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2021.

Andre Arsene Bita Fouda, Anderson Latt, Abdoulaye Sinayoko, Franck Fortune Roland Mboussou, Lorenzo Pezzoli, Katya Fernandez, Clement Lingani, Berthe Miwanda, Dorothée Bulemfu, Francis Baelongandi and 11 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Anthrax meningoencephalitis: A case report.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Andre Arsene Bita FoudaWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Anderson LattWorld Health Organization Emergencies Hub, Dakar P.O. Box 36, Senegal.
Abdoulaye SinayokoWorld Health Organization Country Office Kinshasa, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Franck Fortune Roland MboussouWorld Health Organization Inter-Country Support Central Africa, Libreville P.O. Box 820, Gabon.ORCID 0000-0002-9062-5084
Lorenzo PezzoliWorld Health Organization (WHO), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Katya FernandezWorld Health Organization (WHO), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Clement LinganiWorld Health Organization Inter-Country Support West Africa, Ouagadougou 03 BP 7019, Burkina Faso.
Berthe MiwandaInstitut National de Recherche Biomédicale, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Dorothée BulemfuMinistry of Public Health Hygiene and Prevention, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Francis BaelongandiMinistry of Public Health Hygiene and Prevention, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Patrick Mbenga LikitaMinistry of Public Health Hygiene and Prevention, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Marie-José Kikoo BoraMinistry of Public Health Hygiene and Prevention, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Marcel SabitiMinistry of Public Health Hygiene and Prevention, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1192, Congo.
Gervais Leon Folefack TengomoWorld Health Organization Country Office Kinshasa, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Eugène Kabambi KabanguWorld Health Organization Country Office Kinshasa, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Guy Kalambayi KabambaWorld Health Organization Country Office Kinshasa, DRC, Kinshasa P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Issifou AlassaniWorld Health Organization Country Office, Lome P.O. Box 1504, Togo.
Muhamed-Kheir TahaInstitute Pasteur of Paris, 75015 Paris, France.ORCID 0000-0002-0716-3174
Ado Mpia BwakaWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo.
Charles Shey WiysongeWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo.ORCID 0000-0002-1273-4779
Benido ImpoumaWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville P.O. Box 06, Congo.

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Banalia health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo reported a meningitis epidemic in 2021 that evolved outside the epidemic season. We assessed the effects of the meningitis epidemic response.

methodsThe standard case definition was used to identify cases. Care was provided to 2651 in-patients, with 8% of them laboratory tested, and reactive vaccination was conducted. To assess the effects of reactive vaccination and treatment with ceftriaxone, a statistical analysis was performed.

resultsOverall, 2662 suspected cases of meningitis with 205 deaths were reported. The highest number of cases occurred in the 30-39 years age group (927; 38.5%). Ceftriaxone contributed to preventing deaths with a case fatality rate that decreased from 70.4% before to 7.7% after ceftriaxone was introduced (

conclusionDespite late detection (two months) and reactive vaccination four months after crossing the epidemic threshold, interventions implemented in Banalia contributed to the control of the epidemic.

Indexed as

banaliaDemocratic Republic of Congomeningitismeningococcal vaccine

Identifiers

PMID38793712
PMCPMC11125935

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.