Bacterial Meningitis in Malawian Adults, Adolescents, and Children During the Era of Antiretroviral Scale-up and Haemophilus influenzae Type b Vaccination, 2000-2012

Wall, Emma, Everett, D. B., Mukaka, M., Bar-Zeev, N., Feasey, N., Jahn, A., Moore, M., van Oosterhout, J. J., Pensalo, P., Baguimira, K., Gordon, Stephen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6576-1116, Molyneux, E. M., Carrol, E. D., French, N., Molyneux, Malcolm E and Heyderman, Robert (2014) 'Bacterial Meningitis in Malawian Adults, Adolescents, and Children During the Era of Antiretroviral Scale-up and Haemophilus influenzae Type b Vaccination, 2000-2012'. Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol 58, Issue 10, e137-e145.

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Abstract

Background

We documented bacterial meningitis trends among adults and children presenting to a large teaching hospital in Malawi during introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination and the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods

We analyzed data from 51 000 consecutive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples obtained from adults, adolescents, and children with suspected meningitis admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, between 2000 and 2012.

Results

There was a significant decline in the total number of CSF isolates over 12 years (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.93; 95% CI, .92–.94; P < .001). This decline was entirely in children aged <5 years (IRR, 0.87; 95% CI, .85–.88; P < .001) and coincided with the introduction of Hib vaccination. The number of adult isolates has remained unchanged (IRR, 0.99; 95% CI, .97–1.0; P = .135) despite rapid scale-up of ART provision. In children aged <5 years, Streptococcus pneumoniae, nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS), and Hib were the most frequently isolated pathogens, and have declined over this time period. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated pathogen in older children and adults. Estimated incidence of bacterial meningitis in 2012 was 20 per 100 000 cases in children aged <14 years, 6 per 100 000 adolescents, and 10 per 100 000 adults.

Conclusions

Rates of bacterial meningitis have declined in children, but not adults, coinciding with the introduction of Hib vaccination. The highly successful rollout of ART has not yet resulted in a reduction in the incidence in adults where the burden remains high. Long-term surveillance of bacterial meningitis outside of the epidemic “meningitis belt” in Africa is essential.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 115 Immunization WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV Infections > WC 503 Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV infections WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV Infections > WC 503.2 Therapy WL Nervous System > WL 200 Meninges. Blood-brain barrier
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciu057
Depositing User:	Lynn Roberts-Maloney
Date Deposited:	16 Apr 2015 11:00
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2022 08:57
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/5087

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