Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis among ... - Scielo Public Health

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Reviewed on 2/3/2001. Approved on 19/3/2001. Keywords. Meningitis, bacterial, epidemiology.#. Population surveillance.# Incidence. Retrospective studies.
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Rev Saúde Pública 2001;35(3):249-55 www.fsp.usp.br/rsp

Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis among children in Brazil, 1997-1998* Epidemiologia de meningites bacterianas entre crianças no Brasil, 1997 a 1998 Débora PL Weiss, Paul Coplan and Harry Guess Department of Epidemiology, Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, West Point. Pennsylvania, USA

Keywords Meningitis, bacterial, epidemiology.# Population surveillance.# Incidence. Retrospective studies. Communicable diseases. Haemophilus vaccines. Meningitis, bacterial, etiology. Meningitis, bacterial, therapy.

Abstract

Descritores Meningite bacteriana, epidemiologia.# Vigilância da população.# Incidência. Estudos retrospectivos. Doenças transmissíveis. Vacinas antihaemophilus. Meningite bacteriana, etiologia. Meningite bacteriana, terapia.

Resumo

Correspondence to: Débora PL Weiss, MS, RPh Merck & Co., Inc. 10 Sentry Pkwy, Mail Stop, BL 1-7 Blue Bell, PA 19422, USA E-mail: [email protected]

*Partially supported by Merck & Co., Inc. West Point, PA, USA. Submitted on 5/6/2000. Reviewed on 2/3/2001. Approved on 19/3/2001.

Objective To document the incidence and the descriptive epidemiology of bacterial meningitis among individuals under age 20 in a geographically defined region in Brazil during the two-year period immediately preceding the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines into the national immunization program of Brazil. Methods Population-based epidemiological study of all cases of bacterial meningitis reported among residents of Campinas, Brazil, under age 20 (n=316,570) during the period of 1997-98, using comprehensive surveillance records compiled by the Campinas Health Department from cases reported among hospital inpatients, outpatients, emergency room visits, death certificates, and autopsy reports. Results The incidence of bacterial meningitis (n=274) was 334.9, 115 and 43.5 cases/105 person-years (pys) for residents of Campinas under age 1, 5 and 20, respectively. All cases were hospitalized, with an average length of stay of 12 days. Documented prior antibiotic use was 4.0%. The case-fatality rate of bacterial meningitis in individuals under age 20 was 9% (24/274) with 75% of deaths occurring in children under the age of five. The incidence of Hib meningitis (n=26) was 62.8 and 17 cases/ 105 pys in children age