[Seasonal outbreak of enteroviral meningitis during summer 2005: experience of a French pediatric unit].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical and biological characteristics of children presenting with enteroviral (EV) meningitis in a French paediatric unit during summer 2005.


METHODS
Retrospective study of children with EV meningitis from May to September 2005, diagnosed by PCR and/or viral culture in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum or throat.


RESULTS
We reported 99 cases of EV meningitis (96 confirmed and 3 probable). The sex ratio was 2/1, and the median age was 5 years. Peak incidence was reached during the second week of July. The predominant symptom was meningism. ENT (16%), digestive (10%), cutaneous (15%) or respiratory (4%) symptoms were rare. Blood leucocyte count found a predominance of neutrophils (73%), and lymphopenia in half of the children. The mean value of CRP was 25,5 mg/l. The median leukocyte count in CSF was 65 cells/mm(3), with a prevalence of neutrophils in 60% of cases. Pleiocytosis was absent in 20 children. CSF protein level was increased in 20% of cases. The rate of hospitalization was 57,5%. Intravenous antibiotic treatment, initiated among 18 patients, was stopped in 66,6% of the cases on reception of PCR result. The latter result was obtained in 2,3 days on average.


CONCLUSIONS
The epidemic of 2005 EV meningitis was as widespread as that of summer 2000. Characteristics of these meningitis are strong proportion of CSF without pleiocytose and high prevalence of neutrophils in blood and CSF.
Dommergues
M-A
MA
Service de pédiatrie néonatologie, hôpital André-Mignot, centre hospitalier de Versailles, 177, rue de Versailles, 78150 Le Chesnay, France.
Harzic
M
M
Gobert
M-E
ME
Landre
C
C
De Truchis
A
A
Charara
O
O
Foucaud
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons
D004279:DNA, Viral