Meningitis In Young Children Research Articles

Evaluation of Biological Markers in Children's Cerebrospinal Fluid with Bacterial and Viral Meningitis

Background and Aims: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood biomarkers are widely evaluated as diagnostic tools to distinguish between bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis in emergency laboratory tests. So, this aimed to examine the levels of diagnostic parameters in blood and CSF to discriminate between bacterial and viral meningitis in young children referred to Khoy Hospital.
 Materials and Methods: A total of 101 young children with meningitis were enrolled in this prospective study. The diagnosis of bacterial and viral meningitis was based on clinical features and laboratory findings.
 Results: Of the 101 patients with meningitis, 18 (17.82%) were bacterial, and 83 (82.17%) were viral meningitis. The levels of CSF glucose and CSF/blood glucose ratio were significantly lower in the bacterial meningitis group than in the viral meningitis group (p < 0.01). In contrast, white blood cells count, CSF protein, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and ferritin levels were significantly higher in patients with bacterial meningitis compared to viral meningitis (p < 0.01). However, there was no difference between viral and bacterial meningitis groups concerning mean serum glucose.
 Conclusion: This study suggests that decreased CSF glucose and CSF/blood glucose ratio and increased white blood cells count, CSF protein, ferritin, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein combined with clinical symptoms can help better diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, especially in comparison with viral meningitis.

Long Term Impact of Conjugate Vaccines on Haemophilus influenzae Meningitis: Narrative Review.

H. influenzae serotype b (Hib) used to be the commonest cause of bacterial meningitis in young children. The widespread use of Hib conjugate vaccine has profoundly altered the epidemiology of H. influenzae meningitis. This short review reports on the spectrum of H. influenzae meningitis thirty years after Hib conjugate vaccine was first introduced into a National Immunization Program (NIP). Hib meningitis is now uncommon, but meningitis caused by other capsulated serotypes of H. influenzae and non-typeable strains (NTHi) should be considered. H. influenzae serotype a (Hia) has emerged as a significant cause of meningitis in Indigenous children in North America, which may necessitate a Hia conjugate vaccine. Cases of Hie, Hif, and NTHi meningitis are predominantly seen in young children and less common in older age groups. This short review reports on the spectrum of H. influenzae meningitis thirty years after Hib conjugate vaccine was first introduced into a NIP.

Pneumococcal Meningitis and Its Sequelae - A Devastating CNS Disease.

IntroductionIn countries where Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine is used, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in young children and notable cause of morbidity/mortality. The authors present material of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with pneumococcal meningitis from archive of Department of Diagnostic Imaging of Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw.Materials and methodsWe performed 27 brain MRI scans and 1 follow-up computed tomography (CT) in 10 children (2 girls and 8 boys) aged from neonate to 5 years at disease onset with proven pneumococcal infection.ResultsFollow-up period range was 0–12 years. Two children underwent only one MRI, one of them died before follow-up and the other was lost from further observation. There was one case of relatively benign disease course with mild changes on MRI. In another seemingly benign case, acute transient hydrocephalus was observed. Six children developed hydrocephalus, and two required ventriculoperitoneal shunting complicated by neuroinfection, shunt malfunction and revisions. Two patients developed epilepsy. In six children, spastic paresis of various severity was diagnosed, up to quadriplegia in one who is under the longest observation (>12 years) and survived in vegetative state. Three other children suffer from delayed psychomotor development to severe intellectual disability.ConclusionsMRI shows perfectly the degree of central nervous system (CNS) damage during and after pneumococcal invasion. Despite appropriate treatment, disease course may be unpredictably serious. Attempts to eliminate the obligation to vaccinate are extremely irresponsible taking into account potential danger of death, vegetative state or another form of severe damage to CNS. Social and financial costs of care of survivors are very high with shunts placements and changes, (neuro)infections, rehabilitation, families breakdown, etc.

In Silico Analysis of Hypothetical Proteins of Haemophilus Influenzae PittGG Strain

The complete genome of an organism in public data is a milestone to understand the blueprint of life. As of March 06, 2020, 372archaeal, 16,976 bacterial complete genomes are available and 122,925 contigs and 96,750 scaffolds from bacteria and 2,175 contigs and 1,744 scaffolds, from archaeal genomes, are in progress. The traditional experiments are helping to investigate the function of genes in the genome. Haemophilus influenza PittGG bacterium is one of the leading causes of meningitis in young children, and it may also cause septicemia, otitis media, sinusitis, and chronic bronchitis. It has 482 hypothetical proteins. The determination of this protein function is one of the challenging problems of the post-genome era. That demands bioinformatics tools such as BLAST, InterProScan, Cogniter, CDD, TMHMM, PFP, ProFAT, Protfun, Prodom, Pfam, phyre and Meta server the functional annotation of hypothetical protein of un-annotated protein sequences. This kind of experiment is time-consuming and costly the complete sequence of genomes also has potential in various diseases, annotation of this genes may help to treat diseases.

Prospective research of human parechovirus and cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid of young children less than one year with sepsis-like illness: Comparison with enterovirus

BackgroundHuman parechovirus (PeV) and enterovirus are important pathogens that cause viral infection and aseptic meningitis in young children. We aimed to investigate the rate of HPeV and enterovirus detection, and to characterize cytokine profiles in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of young infants with sepsis-like illness or meningitis/encephalitis. Study designThis was a prospective cohort study. CSF samples were collected from 90 infants less than 1 year of age. PeV and enterovirus detection was performed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Fifteen cytokines in the CSF were measured simultaneously by using multiplex immunoassays. ResultsPeV (PeV-group) and enterovirus (EV-group) were detected in 10 (11.1%) and 12 (13.3%) CSF samples, respectively. Other aseptic meningitis (AM-group) was diagnosed in 22 (24.4%) patients. Forty-six (51.1%) patients exhibited non-central nervous system infection (Ngroup). The PeV-group had the lowest CSF leukocyte (2.1 ± 3.5/mm3, p=0.022) and blood leukocyte (7,953 ± 4,583/mm3, p=0.046) count and Creactive protein levels (0.2 ± 0.1 mg/dL, p=0.036), than did those in the EV- and AM-groups. CSF leukocyte count and protein levels were not significantly different between the PeV- and N-groups. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12, and IL-17 were higher in the EVgroup; conversely, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, and IL-13 were higher in the PeVgroup. ConclusionsExaminations to detect PeV in the CSF may help identify the etiological basis of undiagnosed febrile illness in young children. Significant differences in CSF and blood laboratory findings were observed between PeV- and enterovirus-infected children.

Molecular characterization of an outbreak of enterovirus-associated meningitis in Mossel Bay, South Africa, December 2015\u2013January 2016

BackgroundHuman enteroviruses (HEVs) are common causal agents of aseptic meningitis in young children. Laboratory and syndromic surveillance during December 2015 and January 2016 noted an unusually high number of paediatric aseptic meningitis cases at a hospital in Mossel Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa. HEV was detected in clinical samples, prompting an outbreak investigation.MethodsEpidemiological investigations were conducted to ascertain possible linkage between cases. Amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 5’UTR and VP1 regions was undertaken to determine the HEV serotype associated with the outbreak as well as other cases of aseptic meningitis in the area in the preceding 6 weeks.ResultsOver the 2-month period, 63 CSF samples were available for testing. A total of 43 outbreak cases (68.3%) were observed, and the 26 (60.5%) that could be typed were coxsackie virus A9 (CVA9). Children attending three crèche facilities were epidemiologically linked, accounting for 60.5% (26/43) of the CVA9 cases. The majority of patients were under 10 years of age (55/63, 87.3%) and there was a male predominance (66%). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 5’UTR and VP1 regions identified 2 lineages of CVA9 co-circulating during the outbreak, although the VP1 capsid protein sequence was identical as all nucleotide differences were synonymous. There was a unique isoleucine at position 64 and all outbreak viruses had a valine to threonine change in the hypervariable BC loop of VP1. Other HEV types circulating in the preceding period were echovirus 30 (n = 4), echovirus 5 (n = 3) and 1 each of echovirus 6, echovirus 9 and echovirus 15.ConclusionCVA9 was identified as the pathogen responsible for the large outbreak of aseptic meningitis, with 2 distinct co-circulating lineages.

Microglia activation in a pediatric rabbit model of tuberculous meningitis.

ABSTRACTCentral nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis (TB) is the most severe form of extra-pulmonary TB and disproportionately affects young children where the developing brain has a unique host response. New Zealand white rabbits were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis via subarachnoid inoculation at postnatal day 4-8 and evaluated until 4-6 weeks post-infection. Control and infected rabbit kits were assessed for the development of neurological deficits, bacterial burden, and postmortem microbiologic and pathologic changes. The presence of meningitis and tuberculomas was demonstrated histologically and by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The extent of microglial activation was quantified by in vitro immunohistochemistry as well as non-invasive in vivo imaging of activated microglia/macrophages with positron emission tomography (PET). Subarachnoid infection induced characteristic leptomeningeal and perivascular inflammation and TB lesions with central necrosis, a cellular rim and numerous bacilli on pathologic examination. Meningeal and rim enhancement was visible on MRI. An intense microglial activation was noted in M. tuberculosis-infected animals in the white matter and around the TB lesions, as evidenced by a significant increase in uptake of the tracer 124I-DPA-713, which is specific for activated microglia/macrophages, and confirmed by quantification of Iba-1 immunohistochemistry. Neurobehavioral analyses demonstrated signs similar to those noted in children with delayed maturation and development of neurological deficits resulting in significantly worse composite behavior scores in M. tuberculosis-infected animals. We have established a rabbit model that mimics features of TB meningitis in young children. This model could provide a platform for evaluating novel therapies, including host-directed therapies, against TB meningitis relevant to a young child's developing brain.

Epidemiology of infant meningococcal disease in the United States, 2006-2012.

The incidence of meningococcal disease is currently at historic lows in the United States; however, incidence remains highest among infants aged <1 year. With routine use of Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal vaccines in infants and children in the United States, Neisseria meningitidis remains an important cause of bacterial meningitis in young children. Data were collected from active, population- and laboratory-based surveillance for N meningitidis conducted through Active Bacterial Core surveillance during 2006 through 2012. Expanded data collection forms were completed for infant cases identified in the surveillance area during 2006 through 2010. An estimated 113 cases of culture-confirmed meningococcal disease occurred annually among infants aged <1 year in the United States from 2006 through 2012, for an overall incidence of 2.74 per 100,000 infants. Among these cases, an estimated 6 deaths occurred. Serogroup B was responsible for 64%, serogroup C for 12%, and serogroup Y for 16% of infant cases. Based on the expanded data collection forms, a high proportion of infant cases (36/58, 62%) had a smoker in the household and the socioeconomic status of the census tracts where infant meningococcal cases resided was lower compared with the other Active Bacterial Core surveillance areas and the United States as a whole. The burden of meningococcal disease remains highest in young infants and serogroup B predominates. Vaccines that provide long-term protection early in life have the potential to reduce the burden of meningococcal disease, especially if they provide protection against serogroup B meningococcal disease.

Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Different Haemophilus influenzae type b Vaccines

Haemophilus influenzae, a major cause of meningitis in young children leading to death and other neurological sequelae. The disease leaves 15 to 35% of the survivors with permanent disabilities, such as, mental retardation or deafness. Despite the availability of new and more powerful antibiotics children with Hib meningitis still suffer from high mortality or morbidity. The emergence of multiresistant Hib strains causes increasing difficulties in selecting proper antibiotics for the treatment. Since 1970, the capsular polysaccharide polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) in H. influenzae b has been the target for vaccine development. The first Hib polysaccharide vaccine licensed in 1985, proved immunogenic in human adults, but failed to elicit an immune response in children under 2 years of age who were at greatest risk of developing the invasive Hib infection. These factors led to one of the most exciting advances in pediatrics, the development of Hib conjugate vaccines. Unlike most other vaccines for preventing a particular disease which are generally similar for all types, the specific characteristics of the available Hib conjugate vaccines licensed vary from each other in structure and immunological properties. In this review the immunogenicity and efficacy of Hib vaccines including a) PRP vaccine; b) Conjugate vaccines; and c) Combination vaccines is evaluated.

Serum Bactericidal Assays To Evaluate Typhoidal and Nontyphoidal Salmonella Vaccines

Invasive Salmonella infections for which improved or new vaccines are being developed include enteric fever caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi, Paratyphi A, and Paratyphi B and sepsis and meningitis in young children in sub-Saharan Africa caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars, particularly S. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Assays are needed to measure functional antibodies elicited by the new vaccines to assess their immunogenicities and potential protective capacities. We developed in vitro assays to quantify serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) activity induced by S. Typhi, S. Paratyphi A, S. Typhimurium, and S. Enteritidis vaccines in preclinical studies. Complement from various sources was tested in assays designed to measure antibody-dependent complement-mediated killing. Serum from rabbits 3 to 4 weeks of age provided the best complement source compared to serum from pigs, goats, horses, bovine calves, or rabbits 8 to 12 weeks of age. For S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Typhi SBA assays to be effective, bacteria had to be harvested at log phase. In contrast, S. Paratyphi A was equally susceptible to killing whether it was grown to the stationary or log phase. The typhoidal serovars were more susceptible to complement-mediated killing than were the nontyphoidal serovars. Lastly, the SBA endpoint titers correlated with serum IgG anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) titers in mice immunized with mucosally administered S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, and S. Paratyphi A but not S. Typhi live attenuated vaccines. The SBA assay described here is a useful tool for measuring functional antibodies elicited by Salmonella vaccine candidates.

Pneumococcal Meningitis in the Post–Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era

The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has led to a significant reduction in invasive pneumococcal disease (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Jun 26 2013). Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in young children, and survivors frequently suffer long-term sequelae. Use of PCV7 also has shifted the serotypes causing infection. To examine whether outcomes have changed in the postvaccine era, investigators …

Serum Procalcitonin level and other biological markers in children with bacterial or non-bacterial meningitis

Acute meningitis in children is predominantly aseptic and does not require specific treatment. However, meningitis has a bacterial origin in about 5% of patients and carries a risk of fatal outcome or severe neurological sequelae, especially when diagnosis and antibiotic administration are delayed. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the value of determining procalcitonin levels to discriminate between bacterial and non-bacterial meningitis in young children or infants and describe the variation in serum PCT levels over time during the treatment of meningitis. A total of 50 children with meningitis admitted to a University Hospital were followed in this prospective study. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of procalcitonin were measured. The diagnosis of meningitis was based on clinical findings, gram staining, culture, and chemical analysis of CSF. Twenty-five children were diagnosed as bacterial meningitis and the other 25 children as non-bacterial Meningitis.The mean procalcitonin level on admission in patients with acute bacterial meningitis was 18.3 ng/mL, and the lower level was 4.6 ng/mL, while the higher level in patients with non-bacterial meningitis was 0.62 ng/mL (mean level, 0.38 ng/mL). It is clear from the range of serum procalcitonin level that, there are no overlapping values seen for serum procalcitonin in both groups.serum PCT levels can be used in the early diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis and is more valuable than the other predictive marker. Similarly, they may be useful adjuncts in differential diagnosis of bacterial and non-bacterial meningitis and diminishing the value of 2 nd lumbar puncture performed 48-72 hours after admission to assess treatment efficacy.

What do policy makers need to know? Lessons from the decision to add pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines to the US immunization program

The decisions to introduce pneumococcal conjugate and otavirus vaccines into the US immunization programs were good nes. The vaccines have performed even better than expected, arkedly reducing disease not only among young children who eceived them but also among unvaccinated persons in the comunity [1,2]. But when the US Centers for Disease Control and revention (CDC) first considered whether to recommend routine se of these vaccines, several pieces of information – such as data on isease burden and vaccine efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness – ad to be gathered before the decision to use these vaccines became lear. First, policy makers had to determine the need. Do pneumococci nd rotavirus cause enough hospitalizations and deaths in the US o warrant vaccinating every child? In the US, as in most parts of he world that use Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, pneuococcus was the most common cause of severe pneumonia and acterial meningitis in young children [3]. Likewise, rotavirus was he most common cause of diarrhea requiring hospitalization [4]. hile sub-populations at greater risk of both severe pneumococal and rotavirus disease were identified (e.g., premature infants), argeting vaccination to these groups would miss the vast majority f cases and thus universal vaccination was the best option. Next, policy makers had to determine that the vaccines were oth safe and effective, turning to evidence from randomized conrolled clinical trials. For rotavirus vaccines, data were carefully eviewed to assess risk of intussusception, an adverse event that ed to the withdrawal of a previous rotavirus vaccine from the US arket in 1999, and age restrictions were put in place to keep the heoretical risk as low as possible [4]. The pneumococcal conjugate

Meningitis in Children: Diagnosis and Treatment for the Emergency Clinician

This article provides a review of the evaluation and management of meningitis in young children. It highlights the most common causes of meningitis and the most current treatment recommendations. Since the development of the hemophilus and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, pediatric bacterial meningitis has been diagnosed less frequently. Viral meningitis is far more common and tends to be a less severe disease. It is very important to maintain a high index of suspicion and a low threshold for evaluation of meningitis in febrile young infants younger than 3 months.

Risk of Bacterial Meningitis in Young Children with a First Seizure in the Context of Fever: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundOf major concern in any febrile child presenting with a seizure is the possibility of bacterial meningitis (BM). We did a systematic review to estimate the risk of BM among various subgroups of young children with a first seizure in the context of fever, and to assess the utility of routine lumbar puncture (LP) in children with an apparent first FS.Methods/Principal FindingsMEDLINE, INIST, and the COCHRANE Library databases were searched from inception to December 2011 for published studies, supplemented by manual searches of bibliographies of potentially relevant articles and review articles. Studies reporting the prevalence of BM in young children presenting to emergency care with a first: i) “seizure and fever”, ii) apparent simple FS, and iii) apparent complex FS were included. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. In children with a first “seizure and fever”, the pooled prevalence of BM was 2.6% (95% CI 0.9–5.1); the diagnosis of BM might be suspected from clinical examination in 95% of children >6 months. In children with an apparent simple FS, the average prevalence of BM was 0.2% (range 0 to 1%). The pooled prevalence of BM among children with an apparent complex FS was 0.6% (95% CI 0.2–1.4). The utility of routine LP for diagnosis of CNS infections requiring immediate treatment in children with an apparent first FS was low: the number of patients needed to test to identify one case of such infections was 1109 in children with an apparent first simple FS, and 180 in those with an apparent first complex FS.ConclusionThe values provided from this study provide a basis for an evidence-based approach to the management of different subgroups of children presenting to emergency care with a first seizure in the context of fever.

Features tuberculous etiology meningitis in young children

The appointment of anti-TB drugs with meningitis tuberculous etiology later than the 10 th day of illness in most cases leads to an unfavorable outcome of the disease and the development of serious complications. Specific therapy, conducted by the anti-TB drugs, with a high degree of penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid (isoniazid, pyrazinamide, amikacin, ethionamide) makes it possible to avoid fatal outcome in tuberculous meningitis in children, even at very late diagnosis. For suspected meningitis, and that it cannot be excluded, it is necessary to appoint a trial therapy 3—4 anti-TB drugs while there is a specification of the diagnosis.

Vestibular Impairment after Bacterial Meningitis Delays Infant Posturomotor Development

To examine the findings and impact of postmeningitis vestibular dysfunction on early posturomotor development. Meningitis in children is frequently associated with postural instability, which is often attributed to an undefined neurologic disorder but it could actually be due to vestibular impairment. In a retrospective cohort study, we compared groups with vestibular loss before versus after independent walking: 37 children (18 girls, 19 boys; median age: 2.3 years) hospitalized for bacterial meningitis and referred for postural instability. A complete vestibular evaluation included 3 tests for function of the 6 semicircular canals (caloric, earth vertical axis rotation, head impulse tests), 2 tests for otolith function assessment (vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, off vertical axis rotation), audiologic evaluation, neurologic examination, and brain and temporal bone imaging. Twenty-nine children (10.5% of the 276 children hospitalized with bacterial meningitis) had vestibular impairment. Vestibular loss was complete bilaterally in 16 of 37 children and partial in 13 of 37, and 8 cases had normal vestibular responses. Neurologically normal children who had meningitis before they walked independently and had complete bilateral vestibular loss walked significantly later and their postural instability lasted longer than children in the other groups. The degree of vestibular impairment correlated with the postural instability duration and with the degree of hearing loss. Bacterial meningitis in young children can impair vestibular function completely, leading to delayed posturomotor development if meningitis occurs before independent walking, even in absence of neurologic impairment. Vestibular evaluations are encouraged for postmeningitis evaluation, particularly in cases with postural instability exceeding 8 days, hearing impairment, and programmed cochlear implant.

Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup X Sequence Type 767 in Turkey

Neisseria meningitidis is a common inhabitant of the nasopharyngeal tracts of healthy humans and is a significant cause of invasive infections such as meningitis in young children and adolescents worldwide (14). N. meningitidis has been classified into 13 serogroups on the basis of antigenic variation of the capsule, but only serogroups A, B, C, Y, and W-135 have commonly caused invasive infections (8). In Turkey, W-135 has been the most frequently reported serogroup since an international outbreak was reported following the annual Hajj seasons in Saudi Arabia in 2000 and 2001 (10). During the years 2003 to 2008, 17 serogroup W-135 strains (from eight meningitis cases) were isolated from Turkish recruits vaccinated with A+C polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine (10-12). We describe here the first meningococcal meningitis case caused by a serogroup X N. meningitidis strain in Turkey. The patient was a 22-year-old male soldier, working in a military unit, who was admitted to the emergency department with complaints of a 1-week history of fever (39°C), cough, and vomiting on 10 January 2010. There was little petechiate rash on his chest and a lower leg. The laboratory evaluation at that time revealed a leukocyte count of 3,700/mm3, a hemoglobin level of 13.4 g/dl, and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 5 mm/h. The patient was then admitted to the infectious disease service with a diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis based on the clinical symptoms and results of confirmatory laboratory tests, including blood culture and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. He was given ceftriaxone (4 g/day) for 10 days and then discharged from the hospital in good condition. Oropharyngeal swab specimens were obtained from the patient's close military personnel contacts, and one person was found to be positive for an N. meningitidis serogroup X strain. He was given a single dose of 500 mg ciprofloxacin immediately. Clinical and oropharyngeal swab specimens were inoculated immediately onto BBL-modified Thayer-Martin medium plates (MTM II; Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems) and Thayer-Martin medium with VCAT selective supplement (SR10B; Oxoid, Hampshire, England). After incubation, suspect colonies were identified by Gram staining and oxidase reactivity testing and the identification was confirmed by the API NH system (bioMerieux) (4). An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by the Etest method (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) for ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, penicillin, rifampin, and chloramphenicol (3). The strains were susceptible to the antibiotics tested, except penicillin, with a MIC of 0.75 μg/ml. Serogrouping of the meningococcal isolates was performed by a slide agglutination technique as recommended by Difco Laboratories (Detroit, MI). porA variant region sequencing was performed using the standard primers and identified by querying the respective databases hosted at http://neisseria.org. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed using the standard primers listed at the Neisseria MLST website (http://pubmlst.org/neisseria/). The isolates had the strain designation X: P1.5-1,10-1: sequence type 767 (ST-767) (cc167). ST-767 meningococci have been found previously among N. meningitidis serogroup A and Y strains in Europe and Africa between 1999 and 2008 (http://pubmlst.org/neisseria/). PFGE typing of NheI-digested DNA was performed by a modification of a previously described method (12). The clinical and carrier isolates had the same genotypic pattern. N. meningitidis serogroup X strains were first described in the 1960s and have been isolated from a few cases of invasive meningococcal diseases in North America, Europe, Australia, and China (2, 6, 7). Outbreaks of N. meningitidis serogroup X strains have been reported in Niger (1), western Kenya (13), and northern Ghana (5). N. meningitidis serogroup X strains were reported to be very efficient in colonization among military recruits in the United Kingdom (9). Before May 2009, eight invasive meningococcal disease cases caused by serogroup W-135 were reported in Turkish soldiers who had been vaccinated with A+C polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine; four of these were fatal. Since that time, a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (against A/C/Y/W-135) has been successfully introduced into the Turkish recruit expanded immunization program. We describe here the first meningococcal meningitis case caused by a serogroup X strain in our recruits since the introduction of the quadrivalent vaccine. It was reported that repeated mass vaccination in many African countries might have contributed to colonization by and meningococcal diseases due to serogroup X strains and might result in a changed profile of meningococcal disease (5). We suggest that comprehensive conjugate vaccines including X polysaccharides should be developed. In addition, these data highlight the need for further epidemiological surveillance to carefully monitor the pattern of incidence of meningococcal diseases caused by serogroup X strains and to inform future public health strategies.

Hospital‐Based Surveillance of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease among Young Children in Urban Nepal

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and meningitis in young children. Before implementation of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in developing countries, there is an urgent need to provide regional epidemiological data on pneumococcal disease. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and serotype distribution of invasive pneumococcal disease among young children hospitalized in urban Nepal. Children aged 2 months to 5 years who were admitted to Patan Hospital, Kathmandu, with fever and/or suspected pneumonia, meningitis, or bacteremia were recruited. Blood culture specimens were collected from all participants. In cases of suspected meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid specimens were cultured and were tested for S. pneumoniae antigen. A total of 885 children were recruited during the 21-month study period. Of these, 76 (9%) had meningitis and 498 (56%) had pneumonia, on the basis of clinical criteria. Radiographically confirmed pneumonia occurred in 354 (40%), and probable or definite meningitis occurred in 47 (5%). S. pneumoniae was isolated in specimens from 17 (2%) of the children. Serotypes 1 and 12A were isolated most frequently, and only 1 of 17 isolates had a serotype contained in the currently available 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. More than 60% of children aged <5 years who were admitted with fever and/or suspected invasive bacterial disease in urban Nepal had the clinical syndromes of meningitis and/or pneumonia. A new generation of pneumococcal vaccines that prevent infection with a broader range of serotypes may be necessary to most effectively control pneumococcal disease in young children in Kathmandu.

A case of fatal pneumococcal 19A meningoencephalitis despite administration of seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of serious invasive diseases in children, especially in young infants, but seven- valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) is believed to prevent invasive pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis in young children. However, recently, the incidence of non-PCV7 serotype has increased after PCV7 vaccination. A 14-month- old female patient presented at our emergency room with mental change and lethargy. Three days previously, she had developed fever and vomiting. After being admitted, she rapidly progressed to coma and brain death despite prompt and extensive supportive treatment. She expired 20 days after admission with a final diagnosis of pneumococcal 19A (non-PCV7 serotype) meningoencephalitis despite having received PCV7 (Prevenar ) vaccinations on three occasions. The author reports this first fatality due to pneumococcal 19A meningoencephalitis in Korea and provides a brief review of the literature.