title: Surveillance of bacterial meningitis in the country of Georgia, 2006-2010.
abstract: Bacterial meningitis remains important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in developing countries. This study analyzed the data from sentinel surveillance for bacterial meningitis among children <5 years of age hospitalized in largest children's hospital in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia and adult patients hospitalized in infectious diseases hospital during 2006-2010 with suspected bacterial meningitis. The surveillance is conducted by National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDCPH). The number of patients with identified organism was 127 (19 %). In the subsample of patients with laboratory confirmed bacterial meningitis Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated organism (67 cases, 52.8 %), followed by. influenza (17 cases, 13.4 %) and Neisseria meningitidis (16 cases, 12.6 %). The number of patients with suspected TB meningitis was 27 (21.3 %). The overall case fatality rate in the subgroup of patients with identified organism was 12.3 %. The highest mortality was observed among TB patients (22.2 %) with 14.3 % mortality for N. meningitidis and 10.3 % for S. pneumoniae. No lethal outcome was observed among patients with Haemophilus influenzae.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Diseases Control and Public Health, 9 Asatiani Str., 0177 Tbilisi, Georgia. maiabutsashvili@gmail.com
authors.forename: Maia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Butsashvili
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kandelaki
authors.forename: Medea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eloshvili
authors.forename: Rusudan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chlikadze
authors.forename: Paata
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Imnadze
authors.forename: Nata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avaliani
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality