Recent Trends in the Epidemiology of Acute Meningitis

Abstract

Two recent reports from Devon carried vivid reminders of the extreme potential dangers of infections in which micro-organisms reach and multiply in the meninges or brain. In an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Devon in 1972–73 there were 31 cases with six deaths, several of which occurred within hours of onset (Easton et al, 1974). One case, for example, was in a 10-month-old infant who had refused his feeds and was observed to be lethargic with a low-grade fever; after several hours he developed an extensive petechial rash and died within an hour. In another case a boy aged 17 came home late from a dance and was found dead in bed next morning. Cases of fulminating bacterial infections such as these, usually associated with infection with the meningococcus, are familiar to clinicians, particularly those who work with infectious diseases.