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PCR-based national bacterial meningitis surveillance in Turkey: years 2006 to 2009

Demet Toprak1, Ahmet Soysal, Mehmet Ali Torunoğlu

  • 1From the *Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine; †Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; ‡Department of Infectious Diseases, Turkish Ministry of Health; §Department of Pediatrics, Adıyaman University Medical Faculty, Adıyaman, Turkey; ¶Department of Microbiology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; ‖Streptococcus Laboratory, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; **Meningitis Laboratory, Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ††Department of Clinical Microbiology, Marmara University School of Medicine; and ‡‡Department of Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|November 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Polymerase chain reaction surveillance identified bacterial DNA in 246 children with meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae was most common, followed by Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular diagnostics

Background:

  • Bacterial meningitis remains a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
  • Accurate identification of causative pathogens is crucial for effective treatment and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the bacterial pathogens responsible for meningitis in a cohort of children using molecular methods.
  • To determine the prevalence of specific bacterial species and serotypes/serogroups.

Main Methods:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect bacterial DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples.
  • A cohort of 841 children diagnosed with meningitis was included in the surveillance study.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial DNA was detected in 246 (29.2%) of the CSF samples.
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 53% of positive cases, followed by Neisseria meningitidis (19%) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (16%).
  • Common S. pneumoniae serotypes included 1, 19F, 6A/6B, 23F, 5, 14, 18, and 19A. Predominant N. meningitidis serogroups were B (86%), C (6%), A (3%), X (3%), and W (3%).

Conclusions:

  • PCR-based surveillance effectively identifies key bacterial pathogens causing meningitis in children.
  • The findings highlight the continued importance of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b in pediatric bacterial meningitis.
  • Understanding serotype/serogroup distribution is vital for vaccine development and public health interventions.

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