ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical and epidemiologieal feat ures of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in recent 3 years,aiming to develop the strategies for controlling this disease.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 65 hospitalized patients with epidemic cerehrospinal meningitis from 2003 to 2006.Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results The majority of these 65 patients were juvenile and adult,accounting for 44.6%(29 cases)and 35.4%(23 cases),respectively,while the infant patients account for the smallest percentage,only 6.2%(4 cases).Most cases occurred in spring(from February to April).The clinical features of most patients belonged to common type(72.3%),followed by fulminant type(27.7%).Five cases(7.7%)died,all of whom were fulminant cases.Totally 33 strains of Neisseria meningitidis were isolated,with positive culture rate of 50.8%(33/65 cases).The positive rate of blood culture was 44.6%(29/65 cases)and that of cerebrospinal fluid cuhure was 31.4%(16/51 cases).Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis were still highly sensitive to penicillin,ceftriaxone and cefotaxime.However,the resistance rates of strains to compound sulfamethoxazole,gentamycin and ciprofloxacin were all above 80%.Resuhs of serological typing revealed thai 82.8%(53/64 cases)cases belonged to group C.There were more severe cases and higher death rate in patients infected by group C meningococcus.Conclusions Serogroup C of the meningococcus have become the preponderant strains in Anhui Province.Most of the patients infected hy group C are J uveniles and adults.Penicillin and the third generation cephalosporins are still highly aclive againsl Neisseria meningitidis.