title: Risk factors for community-acquired bacterial meningitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial meningitis is a significant burden of disease and mortality in all age groups worldwide despite the development of effective conjugated vaccines. The pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis is based on complex and incompletely understood host-pathogen interactions. Some of these are pathogen-specific, while some are shared between different bacteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the database PubMed to identify host risk factors for bacterial meningitis caused by the pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae type b, because they are three most common causative bacteria beyond the neonatal period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe a number of risk factors; including socioeconomic factors, age, genetic variation of the host and underlying medical conditions associated with increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections in both children and adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As conjugated vaccines are available for these infections, it is of utmost importance to identify high risk patients to be able to prevent invasive disease.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Denmark.|b Clinical Research Centre , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Denmark.|c Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences , University of Copenhagen , København , Denmark.
authors.forename: Lene Fogt
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lundbo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Denmark.|b Clinical Research Centre , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Denmark.|c Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences , University of Copenhagen , København , Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benfield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines
keywords: Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzaetype b; Streptococcus pneumoniae; meningitis; risk factors