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Meningitis and encephalitis in Poland in 2018
Jakub Zbrzeźniak1, Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz1
1National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene, Departament of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Surveillance.
Introduction:
Infectious diseases of the nervous system are most often manifested in the form of meningitis. We distinguish meningitis and/or encephalitis according to their etiology, i.e. bacterial and viral. The study discusses meningitis and encephalitis caused by: N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and tick-borne encephalitis virus. This is due to the epidemiological surveillance of these diseases and the available prevention in the form of vaccinations against these diseases.
Aim Of The Study:
The aim of the study is to assess the epidemiological situation of meningitis and encephalitis in Poland in 2018.
Material And Methods:
The epidemiological situation of meningitis and encephalitis in Poland was assessed on data from the annual bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland in 2018" and "Vaccinations in Poland in 2018".
Results:
In 2018, a total of 2406 cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis were registered in Poland. It is a 14.7% increase in incidence compared to 2017. An increase was recorded in the viral infections from 1212 to 1533 cases. In contrast, the number of infections with bacterial etiology decreased from 886 to 873 cases. Meningitis and/or encephalitis caused by pathogens specified in epidemiological surveillance have noticed a decreased incidence. The only exception is the increase in cases caused by S. pneumoniae, compared to 2017, from 177 to 212. This is an increase of 19.8% compared to the previous year. However, the number of cases of N. meningitidis showed a decrease of 16.4% during this period. Viral infections constituted 63.7% of all cases. Compared to 2017, it means an increase in the percentage of viral infections by 5.9 percentage points. Among laboratory confirmed cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis of known etiology, cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis (102 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (212 cases) and tick-borne encephalitis (197 cases) were predominant.
Summary And Conclusion:
There is a general increasing trend in the number of cases of viral meningitis and/or encephalitis. On the other hand, thanks to vaccinations, no significant increase was noted in H. influenzae, meningococcal and TBE infections. There is a chance to minimize the incidence of bacterial meningitis and/or encephalitis as in the H. influenzae infections. On the other hand, it should be seen that the problem of diagnosing cases of viral etiology should be considered. This is more related to the determination of the etiological factor than the diagnosis of viral meningitis and/or encephalitis. Difficulties in determining the etiological factor indicate that, meningitis and/or encephalitis remain a challenge for healthcare and epidemiological surveillance institutions.
Insights
In 2018, Poland saw a 14.7% rise in meningitis and/or encephalitis cases, primarily driven by viral infections. Bacterial meningitis incidence decreased, except for Streptococcus pneumoniae, highlighting challenges in diagnosing viral etiologies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Meningitis and encephalitis are significant infectious diseases affecting the nervous system, with distinct bacterial and viral etiologies.
- Key pathogens include Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and tick-borne encephalitis virus, necessitating focused epidemiological surveillance and vaccination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the 2018 epidemiological landscape of meningitis and encephalitis within Poland.
- To analyze trends in incidence and etiological factors of these neurological infections.
Main Methods:
- Assessment utilized data from the 2018 annual bulletins on "Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland" and "Vaccinations in Poland."
- Epidemiological data for meningitis and encephalitis cases were analyzed for the specified year.
Main Results:
- A total of 2406 cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis were recorded in Poland in 2018, marking a 14.7% increase from 2017.
- Viral infections rose from 1212 to 1533 cases (63.7% of total), while bacterial infections slightly decreased from 886 to 873.
- Cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae declined, but Streptococcus pneumoniae infections increased by 19.8% (212 cases).
Conclusions:
- A rising trend in viral meningitis and/or encephalitis cases was observed, contrasting with stable or declining rates for some bacterial pathogens due to vaccination.
- Despite vaccination successes against Haemophilus influenzae and meningococcal infections, challenges persist in diagnosing viral etiologies and identifying specific etiological factors.
- Meningitis and encephalitis continue to pose significant challenges for healthcare systems and epidemiological surveillance, particularly in determining causative agents.
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