title: Neonatal bacterial meningitis in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: a 10-year retrospective review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial meningitis is still a major public health threat in developing countries. It is an overwhelming infection with a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in neonates. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and etiological agents that cause bacterial neonatal meningitis at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective analysis of 1189 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens submitted to the bacteriology laboratory of TASH for culture from 2001 to 2010. All newborns younger than 29 days old that were suspected for bacterial meningitis cases were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on CSF culture, 56 newborns were identified as having bacterial meningitis from a total of 1189 suspected cases. The overall prevalence of neonatal bacterial meningitis from the total suspected cases was 4.7%. The organisms identified and their prevalence rates wereStreptococcus pneumoniae13 (23%),Escherichia coli9 (16%),Acinetobacter7 (13%),Neisseria meningitides5 (9%),Klebsiellaspp. 5 (9%),Staphylococcus aureus3 (5%) andStreptococcus pyogen3 (5%). There were two (4%) cases each that was caused byCoagulase-Negative-StaphylococcusandNon-Group-A-Streptococcus, while 1 (2%) caused byHaemophilus influenzae.S. pneumoniaewas the main etiological agent identified from CSF culture. The male to female ratio was 1:0.88 (53% were male). The birth weights of 34 (61%) patients were under 2500 g, and 22 (39%) patients had normal birth weights. Twenty-seven (48%) were early onset cases, and 29 (52%) were late-onset.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Streptococcus pneumoniaeandEscherichia coliwere the two main etiological agents for neonatal bacterial meningitis infection in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Science, Woldia University, P.O. Box 400, Woldia, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Melese Abate
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Reta
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tamrat Abebe
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Zeleke
keywords: Bacterial meningitis; E. coli; Neonates; Streptococcus pneumonia