%0 Journal Article %T Emergence of Epidemic Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup X Meningitis in Togo and Burkina Faso %A Isabelle Delrieu %A Seydou Yaro %A Tsidi A. S. Tameklo¨¦ %A Berthe-Marie Njanpop-Lafourcade %A Haoua Tall %A Philippe Jaillard %A Macaire S. Ouedraogo %A Kossi Badziklou %A Oumarou Sanou %A Aly Drabo %A Bradford D. Gessner %A Jean L. Kambou %A Judith E. Mueller %J PLOS ONE %D 2012 %I Public Library of Science (PLoS) %R 10.1371/journal.pone.0019513 %X Serogroup X meningococci (NmX) historically have caused sporadic and clustered meningitis cases in sub-Saharan Africa. To study recent NmX epidemiology, we analyzed data from population-based, sentinel and passive surveillance, and outbreak investigations of bacterial meningitis in Togo and Burkina Faso during 2006¨C2010. Cerebrospinal fluid specimens were analyzed by PCR. In Togo during 2006¨C2009, NmX accounted for 16% of the 702 confirmed bacterial meningitis cases. Kozah district experienced an NmX outbreak in March 2007 with an NmX seasonal cumulative incidence of 33/100,000. In Burkina Faso during 2007¨C2010, NmX accounted for 7% of the 778 confirmed bacterial meningitis cases, with an increase from 2009 to 2010 (4% to 35% of all confirmed cases, respectively). In 2010, NmX epidemics occurred in northern and central regions of Burkina Faso; the highest district cumulative incidence of NmX was estimated as 130/100,000 during March¨CApril. Although limited to a few districts, we have documented NmX meningitis epidemics occurring with a seasonal incidence previously only reported in the meningitis belt for NmW135 and NmA, which argues for development of an NmX vaccine. %U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0019513