African meningitis belt

The African meningitis belt is a region in sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of incidence of meningitis is very high. It extends from Senegal to Ethiopia, and the primary cause of meningitis in the belt is Neisseria meningitidis.

The belt was first proposed by Léon Lapeyssonnie of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963. Lapeyssonnie noticed that the disease occurred in areas receiving 300–1,100 mm of mean annual rainfall, which is the case in sub-Saharan Africa.^[1] The intercontinental spread of meningitis has also been traced to South Asia, brought by those making the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, in 1987, leading to epidemics in Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and Chad.^[2]

^ Lapeyssonnie, L. (November 1968). "[Comparative epidemiologic study of meningococcic cerebrospinal meningitis in temperate regions and in the meningitis belt in Africa. Attempt at synthesis]". Médecine Tropicale: Revue du Corps de Santé Colonial. 28 (6): 709–720. ISSN 0025-682X. PMID 5739513.
^ Moore, P. S.; Reeves, M. W.; Schwartz, B.; Gellin, B. G.; Broome, C. V. (1989-07-29). "Intercontinental spread of an epidemic group A Neisseria meningitidis strain". Lancet. 2 (8657): 260–263. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(89)90439-x. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 2569063. S2CID 46601999.

[1] Lapeyssonnie, L. (November 1968). "[Comparative epidemiologic study of meningococcic cerebrospinal meningitis in temperate regions and in the meningitis belt in Africa. Attempt at synthesis]". Médecine Tropicale: Revue du Corps de Santé Colonial. 28 (6): 709–720. ISSN 0025-682X. PMID 5739513.

[2] Moore, P. S.; Reeves, M. W.; Schwartz, B.; Gellin, B. G.; Broome, C. V. (1989-07-29). "Intercontinental spread of an epidemic group A Neisseria meningitidis strain". Lancet. 2 (8657): 260–263. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(89)90439-x. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 2569063. S2CID 46601999.

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