The 1932 Macau epidemic of cerebrospinal meningitis: a historical perspective and critical review of the data.

Since the first clinical description by Vieusseux (1805) of the epidemic form of meningitis known today as cerebrospinal meningitis, numerous epidemic outbreaks of the disease were reported globally during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Historical medical data confirmed that clinical disease may occur either sporadically or in an epidemic form. Moreover, it may afflict children, young military recruits and/or populations living under crowded conditions. In 1932, an epidemic of meningitis occurred in Macau. The disease was sufficiently unusual to justify the publication of a special report by the Portuguese physician in charge of the control services of the epidemic. Here we present a critical review of the Macau epidemic data.