A RETROSPECTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF BACTERIAL-MENINGITIS IN AN URBAN AREA IN BELGIUM

In order to obtain epidemiological data on the incidence of bacterial meningitis (BM) before the systematic introduction of vaccination agai nst Haemophilus influenzae type b, a retrospective study of 124 childr en with proven BM was performed in an urban area in Belgium. N. mening itidis was the most prevalent cause, followed by H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae. Over a period of 6 years the incidence of BM increased ten fold, mainly due to an increase in N. meningitidis. The median age of the children with BM was 17 months and 35% of those with H. influenza e were younger than 1 year. Significant risk factors for BM as a whole were: age under 1 year, male gender, non-Caucasian descent and winter time. These findings may have implications for future vaccination pol icy in Belgium. Conclusion Future vaccination schemes in Belgium shoul d take into account that N. meningitis was the prevalent cause of bact erial meningitis and that certain factors increase the risk for develo ping bacterial meningitis.