title: Incidence of childhood Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis in Sri Lanka.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the burden of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease in Sri Lanka and provide information for decision-making in public health planning and vaccine introduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, population-based study carried out in 2004, to describe the epidemiology and calculate the incidence of meningitis caused by Hib in children <5 years of age in the district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Hib was identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens by culture and antigen detection (latex agglutination test; LAT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lumbar puncture rate in children <5 years of age was 1.9%. A causative bacterial organism was identified in 108 meningitis cases, and in 54 (50%) this was Hib. The LAT increased the Hib detection rate in CSF four-fold. In 2004, the annual incidence of Hib meningitis in Colombo was 20.1 cases per 100000 children aged <5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first from Sri Lanka reporting the Hib meningitis incidence rate pre-vaccine introduction. The reported incidence rate is one of the highest from the Asian region, but is likely an underestimation considering the difficulties in the laboratory identification of Hib.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, No. 231, de Saram Place, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka. ranjithbatu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ranjith
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Batuwanthudawe
authors.forename: Lalani
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rajapakse
authors.forename: Pranitha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Somaratne
authors.forename: Malka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dassanayake
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abeysinghe
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008297:Male; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011634:Public Health; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology