Bacterial meningitis in adults in Iceland, 1995-2010.

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Main Authors: Thornórðardóttir, Asgerður, Erlendsdóttir, Helga, Sigurðardóttir, Bryndís, Harðardóttir, Hjördís, Reynisson, Ingi Karl, Gottfreðsson, Magnús, Guðmundsson, Sigurður
• Other Authors: Univ Iceland, Fac Med, Reykjavik, Iceland, Landspitali Univ Hosp, Dept Clin Microbiol, IS-105 Reykjavik, Iceland, Landspitali Univ Hosp, Dept Infect Dis, IS-105 Reykjavik, Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Informa Healthcare 2015
• Subjects: Heilahimnubólga; Bakteríusjúkdómar; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; 80 and over; Female; Humans; Iceland; Male; Meningitis; Bacterial; Middle Aged; Neisseria meningitidis; Pneumococcal Infections; Retrospective Studies; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Young Adult
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/552669; https://doi.org/10.3109/00365548.2014.880184

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease with a mortality rate of 15-20% in adults. We conducted a population-based study of bacterial meningitis in adults (≥ 16 y) in Iceland, 1995-2010. Cases were identified based on positive bacterial cultures from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or the ICD codes for bacterial meningitis. Medical charts were reviewed and outcomes were assessed using the national population registry. The study period was divided into 2 equal parts, 1995-2002 and 2003-2010, before and after implementation of routine childhood vaccination against serogroup C meningococci, respectively. In total, 111 episodes occurred in 110 individuals. The most common causative organisms were Neisseria meningitidis (41%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (30%). Only 30% of the patients presented with the classical symptom triad of fever, neck stiffness, and an altered mental status. The overall incidence was 3.2/100,000 inhabitants/y, and dropped significantly between the first and second halves of the study (p = 0.03). This drop was due to a reduced incidence of N. meningitidis meningitis: 34 and 12 cases in the first and second periods, respectively (p = 0.006). The incidence of meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae remained unchanged. The case fatality rates were 18% and 13% in the first and second halves of the study, respectively (difference not significant). The incidence of bacterial meningitis has decreased since the implementation of meningococcal C vaccination in 2002. However, the case fatality rate has remained unchanged.