title: Clinical profile of group A meningococcal outbreak in Delhi.
abstract: We present a retrospective analysis of clinical profile of 100 children admitted to a Government hospital at Delhi between April 2005 and December 2006 with group A meningococcal infection. Maximum children presented in late winter and spring. Younger children were less affected (5% children < 1 year). Fever (86%), vomiting (64%) and rash (63%) were the most common presenting symptoms. All children presented within 5 days of onset of symptoms and 52% within 24 hours. 67 % children had meningococcal meningitis; 20% had meningococcemia; and 13% had both. Overall mortality was 17%. Altered sensorium and shock at presentation significantly increased the mortality. All culture positive cases had group A Neisseria meningitides. All meningococcal isolates were sensitive to penicillin/ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol and erythromycin except, one each resistant to ampicillin and erythromycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and LN Hospital, New Delhi, India. ujhamb@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Urmila
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jhamb
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khanna
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents