Etiology and occurrence of acute bacterial meningitis in children in Benghazi Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Abstract

Over a 14-month period, 77 children with a presumptive diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis were investigated. The incidence of acute bacterial meningitis was 0.8%, with a case fatality rate of 13.0%. Children pound 1 year of age were more affected [‎64.9%]‎. The total male to female ratio was 1.2:1. Gram stain detected more cases [‎85.7%]‎ than culture [‎66.2%]‎. A total of 48 isolates were identified by culture and their antibiotic sensitivity was determined. Haemophilus influenzae [‎33.8%]‎ was the predominant organism identified, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae [‎26.0%]‎, Klebsiella spp. [‎6.5%]‎ and Neisseria meningitidis [‎2.6%]‎. Many of the bacterial isolates were sensitive to gentamicin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone and least sensitive to tetracycline and ampicillin