Poster Presentation 25th International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference 2026

The role of PCR in the biological confirmation of meningitis in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2024 to April 2026 (#041)

Ickel I KAKONGO KABANGWA 1 2 , Berthe Noelle B MIWANDA NKEMA 1 3 , Placide P MBALA KINGEBENI 1 4 , JEROME J ATEUDJIEU 5 , DIALLO D AMADOU MOUCTAR 6 , Denis D KANDOLO KAKONGO 7 , Guy G KALAMBAYI KABAMBA 6 , ANDRE ARSENE A BITA FOUDA 8 , JEAN JACQUES JJ MUYEMBE TAMFUM 1 4 , Equipe de laboratoire méningite de l’Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale EQ Equipe de laboratoire méningite de l’Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale 1 , MOHAMED M KHEIR TAHA 9
  1. National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, KINSHASA, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the
  2. Student PhD, Ecole Doctorale de l'Institut Supérieur de Techniques Médicales, Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa
  3. Epidémiologie, Université de Dschang, Ecole Doctorale,Student PhD, Dschang, CAMEROUN
  4. Microbiologie, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa
  5. Epidémiologie, Université de Dschang, Dschang, CAMEROUN
  6. Organisation Mondial de la Santé, RDC, Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa
  7. Microbiologie, Institut Supérieur de Techniques Médicales, Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa
  8. AFRO-WHO, Brazzaville , Brazza, Congo -Brazza
  9. Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur de Paris, Paris, France

Context
Bacterial meningitis is the leading cause of death worldwide, and particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The main causative agents are Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumoniae. and Haemophilus influenzae. However, its etiological diagnosis remains difficult to establish in low-income countries due to a lack of equipment, reagents, consumables, and capacity building. Our objective is to estimate the effectiveness of capacity building in the biological confirmation of meningitis.

Methods
Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected and inoculated into trans isolates (for culture), and another portion was placed in dry tubes (for polymerase chain reaction) for each suspected case meeting the standard case definition from patients originating from provinces that reported cases between 2024 and April 2026 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Culture and molecular biology analyses were performed at the laboratory of the National Institute of Biomedical Research.

Results
Over these 3 years, a total of 345 Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) samples were collected, of which 57 were positive by molecular biology (17%) (49, or 86%, for Neisseria meningitidis W; 5, or 9%, for Streptococcus pneumoniae; and 3, or 5%, for Haemophilus influenzae type b). The same samples were cultured, and 19 cultures were positive (6%), including 17 (89%) positive for Neisseria meningitidis W and 2 (11%) positive for Haemophilus influenzae type b. Furthermore, PCR analysis of 345 CSF samples detected 17% of cases of bacterial meningitis, while culture detected only 11%.