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Bacteriological study of meningococcal meningitis.
P J Vadher1, N S Vaidya, P Soni
1Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Hospital for Infectitous Diseases, Bombay, Maharashtra.
Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
|April 1, 1991
Summary
Latex agglutination tests are highly effective for detecting Neisseria meningitidis (M. meningitis) in cerebrospinal fluid, identifying more positive cases than Gram staining or culture. All identified strains were sensitive to common antibiotics, with one exception noted for penicillin.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Meningococcal meningitis (M. meningitis) poses a significant public health threat.
- Accurate and rapid diagnostic methods are crucial for timely treatment and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Gram staining, cultivation, and latex agglutination tests for M. meningitis detection.
- To assess the antibiotic susceptibility of N. meningitidis strains isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Main Methods:
- Collected 130 CSF samples from patients with suspected meningococcal meningitis.
- Performed Gram staining, bacterial culture, and latex agglutination tests for N. meningitidis detection.
- Tested antibiotic susceptibility of isolated N. meningitidis strains.
Main Results:
- Latex agglutination tests detected N. meningitidis in 61.5% of samples, significantly higher than Gram staining (41.5%) or culture (24.6%).
- All tested N. meningitidis strains showed sensitivity to most antibiotics.
- One strain exhibited resistance to penicillin but remained sensitive to rifampicin.
Conclusions:
- Latex agglutination is a sensitive method for diagnosing meningococcal meningitis.
- N. meningitidis isolates were generally susceptible to antibiotics, indicating effective treatment options are available.
- Monitoring antibiotic resistance is essential for guiding therapeutic strategies.