Meningitis and encephalitis in Poland in 2022

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Routine surveillance of meningitis and/or encephalitis is standard in Poland.
• This study focuses on 2022 cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and tick-borne encephalitis virus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To epidemiologically assess meningoencephalitis and encephalitis occurrence in Poland in 2022.
• To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these neuroinfections.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations sent to NIPH NIH-NRI.
• Analyzed annual bulletins and individual epidemiological interviews from the EpiBase system.

Main Results:

• 1747 cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis were registered in Poland in 2022, a 79.4% increase from 2021.
• Bacterial infections rose by 62.3%, with Haemophilus influenzae cases increasing by 300%.
• Viral infections accounted for 52% of cases, increasing by 99.1%, with tick-borne encephalitis being most common (466 cases).

Conclusions:

• 2022 saw an upward trend in meningitis and/or encephalitis cases compared to 2021.
• Despite the increase, case numbers for both bacterial and viral meningitis/encephalitis are still lower than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.