[Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in France in 1999]

In France, two sources of data, the mandatory notification and the laboratory network EPIBAC, allow the health authorities to follow the incidence of bacterial meningitis (BM) and to assess the relative frequency of the micro-organisms responsible for such infection. In 1999, more than 1,000 cases of BM were notified in France. The more common micro-organisms were: Streptococcus pneumoniae 46%, Neisseria meningitidis 32% and Streptococcus agalactiae(or Streptococcus B) 11%. Listeria monocytogenes and Haemophilus influenzae accounted for 6% and 5% of the cases respectively. In 1999, the incidence per 100,000 inhabitants of meningitis due to pneumococci (0.81), to streptococci B (0.19) and tuberculosis meningitis (0.17) were stable since 1995. The incidence rate of meningitis due to Listeria (0.10) and to H. influenzae (0.08) shows a regular decrease since 1992. The impact of preventive measures of meningitis due to Listeria and H. influenzae B has been clearly demonstrated through the dramatic decrease of meningitis due to these micro-organisms.